Buying a Pet ID Tag for Your Basset Hound

Buying a pet identification tag for your Basset Hound is like buying an insurance policy – you do so with the hopes that you’re never going to use it. The “possible cost” of not having a pet ID tag is more expensive than the “real cost” of purchasing the pet tag itself.

The kind of pet identification tag that you buy is crucial, so take five minutes or so to think it through. Impulsively choosing a collar tag because it’s inexpensive or trendy often proves to be foolish, long-term.

Consider the following prior to picking any pet identification tag for your Basset Hound:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Basset Hound?
Missing Basset Hounds are very common – we have all come across “Lost Dog!” signs setup around the city, or deceased Basset Hounds lying on the side of the road. If your Basset Hound is a pro at tunneling under your fence, or cannot help tracking a smell, or youthful and vigorous, or isn’t properly trained, the chance of a missing Basset Hound is high.

But losing your Basset Hound isn’t the only possibility.

Sometimes Basset Hounds are stolen. A pet thief may take Rover or Spot hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in dog fights (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used for “bait”), or for use in satanic rituals.

And what is the risk to your Basset Hound if something were to happen to you, its owner?

If you’re a senior citizen with a Basset Hound, particularly if you live alone or are in poor health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your furry friend, perhaps with little notice. And anyone can be struck by disaster or tragedy which leaves you incapable of caring for your Basset Hound.

In this instance, will your Basset Hound’s new or temporary caretaker know that Fido hates cats, or needs medication, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet ID tag that has more than your name and phone number would be extremely helpful.

2.What level of danger are you ok with?
Some Basset Hounds are simply more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal warrants a specific, more expensive kind of pet identification tag. Risk is directly proportional to value.

Realize that there are several ways to assess the value of your Basset Hound. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Basset Hound) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

However for most Basset Hound owners, the relationoship attachment they have to their Basset Hound sets its value. For many, Basset Hounds are family members, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

3.Based on your answers to the two previous queries, what do you require of a pet identification tag?

Pet identification tags come in varying materials, shapes and sizes and hold varying amounts of info. Some contain logos or artwork, too. Usually pet ID tags are designed to be attached to a collar.

At a minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the phone number, name and address of the Basset Hound’s owner in a durable, legible format. Plastic tags are light but chewed easily. Stainless steel tags are durable and don’t rust or fade. These customary types of tags can purchased from any vet or pet store. They’re inexpensive yet the amount of info they hold is limited to the size of the tag.

Luckily, there are many more options of pet identification tags for your Basset Hound these days, such as tattooing, microchipping, digital display tags, voice recorded pet id tags, and pet registry websites.

One of the newer entrants in the pet ID game is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your pet’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which can hold 64MB of data (including comprehensive medical and diet information). The tiny USB drive is encased in a sturdy polymer case and can be used in any computer, where it is easily updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your vet or pet sitter. There also exist bluetooth trackers, but their range is low, due to bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Basset Hounds

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