Picking a pet identification tag for your Basenji is like buying insurance – you do so with the hopes that you’ll never need it. The “possible price” of not having a pet ID tag is more costly than the “real cost” of purchasing the pet tag itself.
The type of pet ID tag that you buy is vital, so take 5 minutes or so to think it through. Whimsically picking a collar tag just because it’s cheap or cute usually proves to be foolish, long-term.
Think about the following before choosing any pet identification tag for your Basenji:
1.What is the level of risk to your Basenji?
Missing Basenjis are very common – we’ve all come across “Lost Dog!” signs plastered around the city, or dead Basenjis lying along the edge of the road. If your Basenji is a master at hopping the fence, or can’t help following a smell, or youthful and spry, or is not well trained, the risk of a lost Basenji is high.
But losing your Basenji isn’t the only risk.
Sometimes Basenjis are stolen. A pet thief may snatch Fido or Fifi in hopes of getting a reward for its return, or to use in pit fights (even small or gentle dogs are susceptible – they can be used as “bait”), or for use in cult rituals.
And what is the risk to your Basenji if something were to happen to you, its owner?
If you’re a senior adult with a Basenji, particularly if you live by yourself or are in ill health, there’s a good chance that at some point someone else will need to care for your Basenji, maybe with short notice. And anyone can be hit with a tragedy or disaster that leaves you unable to care for your companion.
In this instance, will your Basenji’s new or temporary caretaker know that Fido hates cats, or requires medicine, or even whether or not Max is housetrained? A pet ID tag that has more than your phone number and name would be extremely helpful.
2.What amount of danger are you comfortable with?
Some Basenjis are just more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that pet demands a specific, more expensive type of pet ID tag. Risk is proportional to value.
Keep in mind that there are several ways to assess the value of your Basenji. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Basenji) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).
But for most Basenji owners, the companionship attachment they have to their Basenji sets its value. For many, Basenjis are like family, dearly loved and impossible to replace.
3.Using your responses to the two previous queries, what do you require of a pet ID tag?
Pet identification tags come in various materials, shapes and sizes and hold varying amounts of information. Some have logos or artwork, too. Many pet ID tags are meant to be attached to a collar.
At a bare minimum, a pet ID tag should contain the name, address and phone number of the Basenji’s owner in a legible, durable format. Plastic tags are light but easily chewed. Stainless steel tags are durable and don’t rust or fade. These traditional kinds of tags can gotten from any vet or pet store. They’re low cost yet the amount of information they can contain is limited to the size of the tag.
Luckily, you have many more options in pet ID tags for your Basenji these days, such as tattooing, microchipping, digital display tags, voice recorded pet identification 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 pet’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which can hold 64MB of data (including comprehensive 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 readily updated and easy to print sections for sharing with your veterinarian or pet sitter. There are also bluetooth devices for tracking, but their range is low, due to bluetooth technological limits.
Don’t forget to check out these other articles about BasenjisWas 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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