Pet Identifications

Starting on April 17th, we will be observing National Pet ID Week! The Louisiana SPCA emphasizes how important it is for pet owners to make sure their pet’s identification is up to date. Pet identification can be the ID tags attached to their collars as well as microchips given to them at the vet. These identifications will provide the best chance possible for reunification with their owners in the case they are lost.

About one in three pets will go missing at some point in their life. The Louisiana SPCA took in a total of 2,515 stray animals in 2022 alone and of those animals 621 were reunited with their families. These reunions were typically because their families had their pet microchipped or had an ID tag on them.

Every pet family should prepare for the possibility of their pet getting lost. A crucial step to keeping your pets safe is to make sure that they have proper identification so that you can be notified as soon as your pet is found. That is why once they do have identification, it is important that the information on it is up to date. That means every time you move or change your phone number or email, you are also updating that info on their ID tag and microchip. To change the information on their microchip, you will need to call the microchip company. If you are unaware of the microchip company, call the facility that provided the microchip or visit your local vet for them to scan the microchip. The first few numbers of a microchip number are specific to the company that issued it, so you would be able to scan the microchip to retrieve the number and then research the first few numbers to find the company.

If you do lose your pet, the most important thing to know is that each parish has a “stray hold period”. This hold period is designed to allow you time to find your pet. Each parish’s hold period is different; for example, Orleans Parish is three days and Jefferson and Plaquemines Parish are both five days. If you have your address listed on the ID tag or microchip and it is present on the animal when they come to us, Louisiana Law requires that the animal be held for seven days.

Steps to take if you lose your pet:

• File a lost report! You can do it online at www.louisianaspca.org/lostreport

• Call your microchip company. Make sure your info is up to date. They will send out alerts to nearby shelters and vet offices, but make sure to ask them if they can provide that service.

• Search your neighborhood. Dawn and dusk are the most active times for lost pets to roam.

• Ask your neighbors to keep an eye out for them or ask if they are already seen them so you have a better idea of where they might have gone.

• Post lost pet flyers and post on social media sites like Facebook lost and found groups, Craigslist and Nextdoor.

• Visit your local shelter, local animal rescues, and local vet offices to see if your pet has been brought to any of those locations.

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