Help Prevent Losing a Pet: 5 Tips

Key Takeaways

• Identification matters: Keep a collar with up-to-date ID tags and rabies tag on your pet so anyone who finds them has an immediate way to contact your or your veterinarian.
• Microchips bring pets home: Microchipping greatly increases the chances of reunion if your pet is lost and scanned at a shelter or clinic.
• Prevention reduces roaming: Spaying or neutering and using a leash help limit a pet’s instinct to wander and lower the risk of them getting lost.

Your pet has escaped from the small gap in the fence, which for weeks, you have intended to repair. Your heart sinks. He’s more than a pet; he’s your best friend. He could be anywhere. He could be in danger. And at this time, your mind can only imagine worst-case scenarios. Quickly, you implement steps to find him.

One in three pets will become lost at some point during their life. Help prevent a lost pet with these five tips.

1. Keep a collar and I.D. tag on your pet at all times. Make sure information is accurate for your phone number and address.
2. Microchip your pet so if scanned at a veterinary clinic or shelter, his identification code will direct to you. A study showed microchipped dogs and cats returned to their owners 33% more often than pets who were not microchipped. HomeAgain has reunited more than 2 million lost pets with their families. For minimal cost, you can help ensure your pet’s homecoming, which is priceless.
3. Attach your pet's rabies tag to his collar, so people know he is vaccinated against this deadly zoonotic disease. A rabies tag also can lead finders to his veterinary clinic, a direct link to you!
4. Spaying and neutering reduces a pet’s natural instinct to roam, keeping him closer to home. According to the ASPCA, 75% of owned pets are spayed or neutered, but only 10% of animals coming into shelters are spayed or neutered.
5. Keep your dog on a leash to discourage him from wandering, or chasing wildlife. Once on the scent, an off-leash pet could go down a bunny trail that results in him losing his way back home.

Whether for horse, livestock, or pet, Valley Vet Supply is your one-stop shop for trusted care. Explore more of our pet category at ValleyVet.com