Keeping the Dogs You Know Safe and Out of Shelters

 

If you make sure that your own dogs and the dogs belonging to friends and family are safe, you help  those who devote their lives to saving homeless dogs. Taking steps to protect the dogs in your life frees resources to deal with the problems caused by people who have not planned as well as you.

The young, energetic Sunday Dog in today's photo is Roger. We met him in the North End where he was greeting everyone and in constant motion. Even young pups, like Roger, need an ID tag in case he is ever separated from his people.

Identification For Your Dog

Begin with the old fashion basics – a collar with ID tag, rabies tag and local license. Make sure the ID tag has a couple of cell phone numbers on it and make sure those numbers are up to date.

If you travel with your dog, have a special ID tag prepared to add to their collar. Maggie wears a Quiet spot around her tags and we can tuck in a note that says where we are staying when we're on the road. 

High Tech ID Options

Today we have the safety net of microchip identification that your veterinarian can inject into your dog. Almost all animal shelters will search for a microchip with a scanner when a dog arrives. States are beginning to pass laws that prohibit dogs with microchips from being euthanized. This simple step could save your dogs life.

Here’s a link that explains how these chips work.

http://www.howstuffworks.com/question690.htm 

More on finding ways to help Dog Rescue groups in the months ahead.

Because we've been active in dog rescue work for years, we're often asked question about the ways people can help.

Along with the photos of some very beautiful dogs, we'll be sharing more information about helping dog rescue groups with BostonZest's Sunday dog readers in the months ahead.

Details:

Writers: Penny & Ed Cherubino

Photo: ©2010 Penny Cherubino