Stray Animals

Vets often have stray pets brought in to their surgeries by caring members of the public. Frequently these pets have been lost and so vets will make very effort to re-unite them with their owners. Although vets do everything they can to ensure that lost pets are returned to owners promptly there are a few simple measures that owners can take to make the task easier for vets and other animal carers.

Microchipping.

Have your pet microchipped and keep your contact details updated. Ask your vet to check that the microchip is still working at least annually. Microchips can occasionally fail and can also migrate from the original place of insertion between the shoulder blades. If a microchip is not working or is impossible to find, it will not help to identify your pet.

Collars and Tags

Collars and tags should be checked regularly. They are not as reliable as microchips since they can be lost or removed. However they should still be provided, since if your dog has no tag you could face a £5000 fine! Tags should state your name, address and telephone number. Tags should have clear writing ( shallow engraving may easily be missed especially in an excitable dog or if a bold "Scan Me" tag is lightly engraved on the back). You may wish to get your cat a collar with a tag although there is no legal requirement for this.

If your straying dog is picked up by the dog warden and is not easily identified you will often be charged for its kennel boarding and the work involved in looking after it. At the time of writing this charge in East Sussex is £75. Many vets will look after dogs free of charge for a short time but if medical care or out of hours work is required you should expect to pay for this. If a dog causes an accident or injures itself while straying the costs could easily amount to a great deal.

The best policy is to keep all dogs well under control at all times and ensure that they can easily be identified if an unavoidable problem occurs.