Pet tags are a vital part of every animals ensemble.  The well dressed pet goes nowhere without identification.  In many areas, it is dictated by law that animals (cats, dogs, etc) have vaccine identification on their collars when they are not confined.  If your “Ruby” gets lost, whoever finds the poor, lost, and scared critter can contact the veterinarian listed on the tag to inform them of the lost pet.  So, is that the best we can do for our pets?

Better identification for pets

Laser etching is very flexible and precise.  A skilled designer can utilize the entire surface of the tag to add information and decoration that “Ruby” would be proud to wear.  This information can include the obvious; pet name, owner contact info, etc but can also include a notice that the pet has health problems, needing medicine daily.  The extra information that a laser etcher can add can also provide valuable information, such as ID numbers and websites, that direct anyone who finds “Ruby” to pet location companies that help recover lost pets.  Engraved tags using other methods are very limited in the designs they offer.

Mechanical engravers

Many people are familiar with mechanical engraving; you may have a special piece of jewelry with a special message engraved in it, you may have pet tags that are mechanically engraved or embossed.  One main limitation to mechanical engravers is the lack of flexibility in the design; they can only do certain sized letters, in certain fonts, with certain spacing, etc.  Often, that method is inexpensive but more often, it is the only choice.  A mechanically engraved tag is better than no tag, but there are much better solutions, one of those better solutions being laser etched tags.

For all of us who enjoy our animals and want to keep them safe, we need to have identification on them at all times.  The more information we provide, the better chances we have of their safe return.  If you found a lost “Ruby”, wouldn’t it be easier to return the critter if you found had a tag with the pets name, owners name, contact info, PetAmberAlert Member number, etc?  Would you be more willing to work harder to return the pet if it was easier to do?