Picking a Pet Identification Tag for Your Australian Kelpie

Picking a pet identification tag for your Australian Kelpie is like purchasing an insurance policy – you do so 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 kind of pet ID tag that you buy is crucial, so take five minutes or so to think it through. Whimsically buying a collar tag because it’s low cost or trendy often ends up being foolish, down the road.

Consider the following prior to purchasing any pet identification tag for your Australian Kelpie:
1.What is the amount of risk to your Australian Kelpie?
Lost Australian Kelpies are very common – we have all come across “Lost Dog!” signs tacked around town, or deceased dogs lying on the edge of the road. If your Australian Kelpie is a pro at escaping the fence, or can’t help tracking a smell, or youthful and full of energy, or is not properly trained, the possibility of a lost Australian Kelpie is high.

But losing your Australian Kelpie isn’t the only possibility.

Sometimes Australian Kelpies get stolen. A pet thief may take Rover or Spot 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 for “bait”), or for use in religious rituals.

And what is the danger to your Australian Kelpie if something happens to you, the owner?

If you’re a senior adult with a Australian Kelpie, particularly if you live by yourself or are in ill health, there’s a high chance that at some point someone else may need to care for your furry friend, maybe with little notice. And anyone can be struck by disaster or tragedy which leaves you incapable of caring for your Australian Kelpie.

In this instance, will your Australian Kelpie’s new or temporary steward know that Fifi hates cats, or requires medicine, or even whether or not Max is potty trained? A pet identification that contains more than your name and phone number would be very helpful.

2.What amount of risk are you ok with?
Some Australian Kelpies are simply more important to their owners, and the chance of losing that pet calls for a specific, higher priced kind of pet ID tag. Risk is directly proportional to value.

Note that there are many ways to determine the value of your Australian Kelpie. It may be financial (e.g., a purebred Australian Kelpie) or functional (e.g., a guide dog).

But for most Australian Kelpie owners, the emotional attachment they have to their companion determines its value. For many people, Australian Kelpies are members of the family, impossible to replace and dearly loved.

3.From your responses to the two previous questions, what do you require of a pet ID tag?

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

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

Luckily, you have many more options of pet identification tags for your Australian Kelpie these days, such as tattooing, microchipping, digital display tags, voice recorded pet identification tags, and pet registry websites.

One of the most recent entrants in the pet identification market is the high-tech USB drive that hangs from your pet’s collar (or is attached to their kennel) and which holds 64MB of data (including comprehensive medical and diet information). The small 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 animal doctor or pet sitter. There are also bluetooth trackers, but their range is small, because of bluetooth technological limits.

Don’t forget to check out these other articles about Australian Kelpies

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