When your pet is lost you'll wish their rescue information was as big as a billboard!
Any pet ID tag is relatively small in size, about 1 to 2 inches squared. It's a tiny prayer of insurance in case of emergency.
The space available is limited so choosing the most effective information to include is important. It's your one chance to speak directly to the good Samaritan who has taken up your loved one's security as their responsibility.

How do I decide what info to include in the tag inscription? Ask yourself "what is the most direct way for a rescuer to contact me?" or "what information will help a rescuer help my pets?". If you have had the experience ask, "what information helped ME when I was trying to help a lost animal?". The answers to these questions should inform your rescue message.

Here are my suggested priorities for pet tag rescue information:

1. Telephone Numbers. A rescuer doesn't expect to have to return the animal to you. You should plan on having to pick your lost pet up. This makes the phone numbers rank above street address. If you aren't always available include a phone number of your vet or someone who is. You want the rescuer to reach a person, not an answering machine or voice mail, if at all possible.

2. Pet's Name. Both the rescuer and your pet will feel better about each other if the rescuer knows the pet's name. Imagine your pet's state of mind: they're lost, nervous, hungry and afraid they'll never see their family again. As a rescuer I need to be able to calm the animal and gain their trust. Both rescue goals improve if the rescuer knows the pet's name.

3. Street Address. Most animals don't wander very far before they're noticed, usually just a couple blocks. Sometimes the animal can be returned before you even know they've escaped. Once we were at a garage sale and a dog wandered up looking lost. Nobody knew where it was from. After 45 minutes of calling City Hall and the city pound to no avail we learned the dog was from the next street over. Who knew this vital information? One of the children of a lady shopping at the sale. A side comment: children are much more aware of all the neighborhoods animals and where they're from than adults. They notice and care and are a good resource.

4. Medical Information. If your pet needs special medical treatment, has medical conditions like epilepsy, deafness etc. or has specific temperament problems that you feel a rescuer might need to know include it in your message. If you need to buy an extra tag for this purpose it's well worth the added expense to impress the immediate emergency to a rescuer.

5. AVID or other identifying numbers. Microchips are a great new innovation but of no use to the "first responder" who is crucial to your pet's safe return. No one has a chip reader at home. If you include the chip number AND the AVID (800) phone number the rescuer can put it to use without having to call a vet or other AVID expert. As far as email, instant messaging or text message addresses I recognize that they can be useful if that's how you can be reached, but they do take up a lot of the precious message space.

REWARD! In general I don't recommend using "REWARD!" as an incentive on pet tags. You especially don't want to imply that the pet is of great monetary value. I certainly respect that some have other opinions about this. To me, the reward to a good hearted rescuer is good karma, empathy for the pet and "doing what's right". If someone is helping your pet for the reward or other cash gain they may decide that it might be more lucrative to sell the animal outright as you would with any "property". Of course, rewarding the good hearted rescuer probably encourages future rescues and any expenses the rescuer incurs in your behalf should be repaid.

IMHO any other information is probably superfluous and distracts from the purpose of the tag. This includes "My name is...", "Call Mommy and Daddy at...", "My family lives at..." etc. The zip code is also generally unnecessary (unless you intend for your pet to be returned by US mail... :) . That you cared enough to tag your pet tells a rescuer that your pet is loved and missed.

Help me pack the valuable "real estate" on your tag with the most vital information to help your pet get back home fast!

Composing a strong, effective rescue message is worth the effort in improving your pet's chances of a safe return!

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