Picking a pet identification tag for your Maltese is like buying insurance – you do it with the faith that you’ll never need it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more costly than the “real cost” of buying the pet tag itself.
The type of pet identification tag that you buy is crucial, so take five minutes or so to think it through. Whimsically buying a collar tag because it’s cheap or trendy often ends up being unwise, down the road.
Think about this before buying any pet identification tag for your Maltese:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Maltese?
Lost Malteses are certainly common – we have all seen “Lost Dog!” signs posted around town, or deceased dogs lying on the edge of the road. If your Maltese is a pro at breaking through the fence, or can’t resist chasing a smell, or young and vigorous, or is not correctly trained, the chance of a missing Maltese is high.
But losing your Maltese isn’t the only concern.
Some Malteses are stolen. A pet thief may snatch Spot or Rover hoping to get a reward for its return, or to use in pit battles (even small or gentle dogs are at risk – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in religious rituals.
And what is the risk to your Maltese if something happens to you, the owner?
If you’re a senior adult with a Maltese, particularly if you live alone or are in poor health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your furry friend, maybe with short notice. And anyone can be struck by tragedy or disaster which leaves you incapable of caring for your Maltese.
In this instance, will your Maltese’s new or temporary steward know that Spot hates cats, or needs medicine, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet identification that contains more than your name and phone number would be extremely helpful.
2.What level of risk are you ok with?
Some Malteses are simply more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that particular animal calls for a specific, more expensive type of pet identification tag. Risk is proportionate to value.
Keep in mind that there is more than one way to assess the value of your Maltese. It may be monetary (e.g., a purebred Maltese) or occupational (e.g., a guide dog).
However for most Maltese owners, the companionship attachment they have with their companion sets its value. For many, Malteses are family members, dearly loved and impossible to replace.
3.Using your answers to the two previous questions, what do you need in a pet ID tag?
Pet ID tags come in various shapes, sizes and materials and can contain varying amounts of info. Some contain logos or artwork, as well. Most pet ID tags are designed to be attached to a collar.
At a minimum, a pet identification tag should contain the phone number, name and address of the Maltese’s owner in a legible, durable 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 gotten from any vet or pet store. They’re low cost but the amount of information they can display is limited to the size of the tag.
Luckily, there are many more options for pet identification tags for your Maltese these days, such as tattooing, microchipping, digital display tags, voice recorded pet id tags, and pet registry websites.
One of the most recent entries in the pet ID market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs off your Maltese’s collar (or is attached to their cage) and which can hold 64MB of data (including complete diet and medical information). The small USB drive is encased in a sturdy plastic case and can be plugged into any computer, where it is automatically updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your vet or pet sitter. There also exist bluetooth trackers, but their range is severely limited, because of bluetooth technological limits.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about MaltesesWas this post helpful? If so, please take a minute to Tweet and Share below on Facebook. I would also love to know your thoughts so leave me a comment 🙂
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