ID Your Pet Day #ASPCA + GIVEAWAY

As we approach the 4th of July holiday, a time when countless dogs go missing after being spooked by fireworks and other loud noises, the ASPCA is celebrating ID Your Pet Day.

ID Your Pet Day was designed to raise awareness about the importance of having a personalized ID tag on your pet's collar at all times. It's one of the best - and easiest - ways to increase the likelihood of getting your lost pet returned quickly.

Of course, there are pets who escape home without their collar, and others who may have left home with it, but had it lost along the way.  In this case, having a microchip is extremely important when it comes to being reunited quickly with your pet.

If your pet has been lost, the ASPCA Pet Safety App provides access to important information to help in your search. The app is free and a must-have for all pet parents.

In addition to having been involved in dog rescue for many years, I seem to be a magnet for lost, wandering and escaped dogs. I've actually lost count of how many times a dog has wandered into our front yard, or that I've looked out the window to see a pup walking down our road... missing his or her human. I grab a leash, and out the door I go. It's completely natural for me and I would only hope that someone would do the same if it was one of my dogs.

While a few of the culprits were familiar to me, most were not. A simple, inexpensive personalized ID tag would have allowed me to get the dog back home within minutes, however I'm sad to report that the majority of the wandering dogs I've leashed have not had any tags on. This truly baffles me, given the fact that a tag is such an inexpensive security measure.

In one case, I had to call our local dog officer after spending 45 minutes looking for a dog's home, without luck (and in our area, that usually means the owner will have to pay a fine to get their lost dog back). In another case, Lola found a sweet hound dog in our yard late one very rainy evening. While he had his microchip tag on, he did not have an ID tag showing his address or owner's phone number. A 1:00 am call to the microchip company resulted in them leaving a voice mail for his owner, who never got it. A second call around 9:30 am resulted in a connection. Fortunately this pup landed at the right "pit stop," as we gladly welcomed him into our home for the night, but not every lost pup can be so lucky.

I just can't stress it enough - get an ID tag for your pet!  If you like to switch between collars and harnesses, get multiple tags so you never take the chance of forgetting to move the tag over. And always leave a tag on your pet's collar, even if they're "just in the house."  You never know when something might spook them, or when someone might accidentally leave a door open.  

With the holiday weekend upon us, please remember: fireworks and pets don't mix. Keep your pets safe so that you can all enjoy a wonderful 4th of July.  

GIVEAWAY!

To help you - and your best 4-legged buddy - celebrate summer, we are giving away an ASPCA Summer Gift Pack to one lucky winner! The Gift Pack contains:

• ASPCA Tote
• ASPCA Frisbee
• ASPCA Beach Ball
• ASPCA Towel
• Subaru Yoga Mat

To enter, use the Rafflecopter widget below. Mandatory entry is to answer a question in the comments section on this post (hint: click on the Rafflecopter widget first to find out what that question is). Open to US residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Disclosure: ASPCA sent a gift pack to Lapdog Creations, free of charge, in exchange for me helping to spread the word about ID Your Pet Day. I was not compensated for this post and all opinions expressed are my own. ASPCA is responsible for the giveaway prize.