07/07/2022
WHAT TYPE OF I.D. IS RIGHT FOR MY PET?
Microchips, smart tags, trackers, regular tags…. it can be confusing to navigate the maze of pet identification products out there. How do you really know which is the best fit for your fur-baby?
Let’s start with the basics: WHY IDENTIFY YOUR PET?
In a nutshell: it’s the responsible thing to do. Just like us, pets weren’t made to live in a confined area. Dogs and cats have inherent instincts to wander. And they will, given half an opportunity. Even the most contented dogs will occasionally follow a delicious aroma outside the gate and suddenly find themselves in unfamiliar territory. LOST AND ALONE. Panic sets in and they take off down the street.
Anxious dogs may bolt in thunderstorms or on nights with fireworks. Tomcats get provoked into local brawls and disappear off to lick their wounds. Moving house? – your favourite felines didn’t get the memo and are desperately trying to find their way “back home”. And let’s not forget the rising scourge of pet theft. And then there’s just plain old boredom…an exotic dog with high exercise needs is tired of being misunderstood. There’s a myriad of reasons why you might be unexpectedly parted from your furry family.
Identifying your pets increases the chances of a quick reunion and reduces pressure on shelters. So - which one should you get and how do they work?
1. GPS TRACKERS.
The Rolls Royce of pet identification products. This lightweight device attaches to your pet’s collar and allows you to visualise your pet’s real-time location from an app on your smart phone, thanks to an onboard GSM module and built in GPS antenna. Ideal for tech geeks that love to sit on their phone and watch the Internet of (their) Things in motion. It’s not for the slothful though – its battery needs to be recharged every 5-7 days, and the SIM card data bundle balance maintained. They cost between $165-$190 in Zimbabwe, with no additional subscription fees.
Best for:
• The escape artist - the husky or Jack Russell that continuously seeks a more exciting life beyond your boundaries.
• The jetsetter – the leisure hound that loves his tours and holidays, but sometimes seeks to stray with the local ladies.
• The accomplished tracker – the working dog who gets ensnared or injured in the line of duty.
• The introvert – the dog that’s unlikely to be handleable by strangers should he get lost.
• The superior cat – the one that finds your company a bit too tedious, or perhaps keeps ringing up expensive vet bills for your neighbour’s kitties.
2. MICROCHIPS.
These are the no-brainer of pet ID products. In fact, in the UK, it has been mandatory for all dogs to be microchipped since 2016, and cats will follow suit in 2022. Regardless of the litany of selfies you may have taken with your fur-baby, microchips are the only legal and permanent way to irrefutably prove your pet belongs to you. Despite what some people think, however, microchips DO NOT track your pet’s location.
About the size of a rice grain, microchips are injected under the skin of your pet by a veterinarian. The chips store a unique number, which is read when a RFID (radio-frequency identification) scanner is waved over the animal. The chips are completely passive, using the scanner as a source of power to transmit the information, therefore they do not require a battery.
When a stray animal is handed in to a vet or shelter, they will immediately be scanned for a microchip, and if present, the owner will be contacted without delay. If the dog is sold, or you change your contact details, information in the database can easily be changed.
Microchipping is cheaper than you’d think – you can have your pet microchipped at most vet surgeries in Zimbabwe for between $18 and $30. Your data is uploaded to a Southern African data base (www.fivestarid.co.za) which, unlike many other countries, has NO ongoing subscription costs.
Best for:
• Every pet should be microchipped!
Microchips are by no means mutually exclusive. Even if your pet wears a tag or tracker, they should still be chipped in case their collars fall off.
Essential in:
• The dog-napper’s dream – the expensive pooch at high risk of being stolen.
• The naturist – when it comes to canine fashion, less is more, and some pets just won’t tolerate wearing collars.
• The bushwhacker cat that always decorates the local shrubbery with his collar.
• The spoils of divorce – unpleasant to imagine, but who would get custody of your pet in a divorce?
3. SMART TAGS
SMART tags get your pets home faster! Brightly visible, waterproof tags that attach to your pet’s collar, SMART tags use NFC (Near Field Communication – a subset of high frequency RFID) to transmit the information digitally written on the tag to any post-2016 smart phone. The tag is easily “written” by a free app. Using the same technology as contactless payment methods, the tag and phone must be within a few centimetres for the information to be accessed.
No need to drop the stray off at a local vet to be scanned. No need to get your reading glasses out – the owner’s number automatically shows up on your phone with a one-touch option to dial it. The tags are re-writable, in case the owner’s phone number changes.
At just $10, there’s no reason not to make a reunion with your lost pet a more efficient affair.
Best for:
• The Gen Alpha pet that likes to look as SMART as he is.
• The extrovert pup that will happily jump into any open car door.
• The bling baby that prizes his collar and loves his accessories (favourite mode of travel is often a handbag).
4. REGULAR TAGS
If the latest technology just isn’t your thing, it still pays to attach a regular tag to your pet’s collar. Hand-written tags tend to fade, so rather get them engraved, if you don’t mind waiting for your purchase. However, the information on the tag cannot be changed in case you change your number or sell your pet. They generally cost between $6 and $10.
Best for:
• Gen X or Boomers pets (whose parents just cannot be taught how to use a smart phone no matter how hard they try!).
DON’T DELAY. MAKE YOUR PET I.D. CHOICE TODAY. THE SHELTERS WILL THANK YOU FOR IT!
Brought to you by Medi-Vet. Distributors of specialist pet identification products.
