Letters to the Editor 03/30/11

To the Editor:

I am so happy that Jeff Perin got his beloved dog Paloma back, and although your sidebar on dognapping mentioned the importance of dogs having collars with ID tags, I would like take a moment to rant about one of my biggest pet peeves regarding dog owners.... why don't people make their dogs wear a collar and I.D. tag? I cannot count the number of people who've told me over the years that they "don't need ID tags because the dog has a microchip."

Last time I checked, most folks don't have microchip scanners in their homes. If someone is kind enough to rescue your lost dog, how can they contact you if the dog isn't wearing a tag? Sure, they can take the dog to a vet or to a shelter for scanning, but wouldn't it be a whole lot easier if they could just call you on the phone and say, "Come get your dog?"

I rescue stray dogs all the time (I carry a lightweight leash in my purse for this very reason). When I see a dog running loose I always try to connect with the dog and look for some contact information, but about half the time the dogs have no tags.

Please people, get a tag! They cost about five bucks. Your dog's life depends on it.

Terri Daniel