This is why you put identification on your animals

[Fingolfin269]

We're training for a marathon and like to head to the local greenway when doing our long weekend runs. Today we saw something odd when getting out of our car. A lady was walking to her car holding a couple of leashes but there were no animals in sight. I thought this was pretty odd but didn't really think about it.

A mile or two into our run we saw a couple of dogs loose but looked like they were playing with some kids so didn't think anything of it.

About 1.5 hours later we were coming back through and saw them again. Soaked (looked like they had been in the river), just running around loose. We managed to get them to come over to us and found a phone # on both dogs. The same number so obviously a pair. We flagged someone down who made a call to the owner. They were out of town in Texas but had left the dogs with a "dog sitter" (??).

We managed to get them back to the sitter, who just happened to be the same lady we saw that morning. Apparently the dogs had gotten loose the day before and she couldn't find them. That morning she was looking but where we found them was much further down the path than she had been looking. She was obviously panicked, crying, upset thinking she had lost these dogs and knew they were like family to the owners.

Long story short, if you do your due diligence in making sure information is on your pets then there is a good chance someone will find them and do the right thing. Chipping is ok but I'm not sure what I would have done had I found two dogs with no collar/identification.

TLDR:
1) Went for a run
2) Found 2 dogs
3) They had a collar with id
4) Happiness restored
5) Do your pets a favor and tag/chip them

 

[alkemyst]

TLDR:
5) Do your pets a favor and tag/chip them

QFT, and try to keep their collars on even indoors. So many times a dog escapes and because he wasn't wearing his collar he is lost forever or potentially destroyed especially if they have any terrier in them.

Even with a microchip, you cannot count on animal control to scan every time. Our pounds down here have had totally replacement of personal and they still violate protocol and destroy animals without scanning.

 

[Mixolydian]

:thumbsup:

 

[EvilYoda]

Good for you. Losing two dogs would be horrible for both the sitter and the owners.

 

[alkemyst]

Good for you. Losing two dogs would be horrible for both the sitter and the owners.

It happens a lot. I am that guy that tries to gather them up and at least put them in my fenced yard to protect them from the pound. Most vet's (and some pet stores) have scanners that can scan for the chip ID.

Also here our Police will help reunite lost pets to their owners.

The big thing is if you can be a good enough good samaritan and get them off the street.

Too many assholes try to actually hit animals today.

 

[tynopik]

on the other hand, if your animal get into mischief it helps avoid liability if they can't prove it's yours

 

[GagHalfrunt]

I've had a couple of dogs break a rope and escape. They came back when they got hungry.

 

[alkemyst]

on the other hand, if your animal get into mischief it helps avoid liability if they can't prove it's yours

This is not really within the rules here. You are promoting if your animal commits a crime, to hide it.

 

[alkemyst]

I've had a couple of dogs break a rope and escape. They came back when they got hungry.

Most dogs will eventually come back...

if they were not hit by a car...

if not picked up by Animal Control.

No dog should be left unattended on a chain. Many places are banning this practice.

As a vet tech, having an owner bring in their dog (that's already dead) because he hanged himself and needs us to save him is a very sad event.

When I was in middle school I witnessed this happen. There was a single mother that was down on her luck and my dad had me cut her grass when she would go to work so the zoning people stopped fining her. They had a little chocolate lab in the back yard. He'd always jump at the screen to try to get into the patio and then probably into the house. I'd have to untie him and move him and then put him back when I was done cutting the backyard.

One day I was cutting the grass and went back to move him. He must have popped out the top screen and ended up inside the patio hanging...he was dead already.

 

[tynopik]

This is not really within the rules here. You are promoting if your animal commits a crime, to hide it.

privacy is only for those with something to hide, amirite?

 

[alkemyst]

privacy is only for those with something to hide, amirite?

No, and I am not sure what you mean.

You saying keep the tags off a dog because you can hide when it does something wrong is not about privacy, it's about crime.

 

[bryanl]

Most people do it for the sake of the animal, in case it gets lost, but I do it so my dog knows who's boss. This only works if the dog knows how to read.

 

[April_Asset]

Good advice. We got our dog from an adoption agency which have all of their dogs chipped. Surprisingly that is not a requirement for all agencies.

 

[Phoenix86]

Chipping is ok but I'm not sure what I would have done had I found two dogs with no collar/identification.

Go to any Vet who can read the chip.

 

[Fingolfin269]

Go to any Vet who can read the chip.

I had no way to transport 2 dogs to the vet. Having a collar on them with a phone number is much easier. My point was basically that while chipping is great I would still collar as well.

 

[alkemyst]

I had no way to transport 2 dogs to the vet. Having a collar on them with a phone number is much easier. My point was basically that while chipping is great I would still collar as well.

Call your local police, sometimes they have scanners.