Has your dog gone missing? Microchips or trackers might help

There’s not a day when I wouldn’t come across a shared post concerning a missing dog on social networks. Sometimes it’s about neglecting its safety, sometimes bad luck. Therefore, using a microchip should go without saying. However, it’s not enough for finding the lost dog.

Nowadays, a microchip is (or should be) a common thing. I even dare to say a necessary thing for dogs’ owners. It is used for a permanent animal tagging and it is obligatory in Prague since 2015. It is a very handy and practical thing. A chipped dog can be identified very quickly when it’s abandoned or lost using a reader which animal control, police, veterinary clinics and some dog shelters and associations have available. Besides the situation when a dog is lost, this tag will come in handy when travelling in the EU.

It is a radiofrequency device, about a millimetre wide and a centimetre long which is put inside the animal’s body to the subcutaneous tissue on the left side of its neck using an applicator. A chip is programmed with a unique code and the animal and its owners are matched in a database using this code. When a dog is chipped at a vet, the owner should receive two registration cards with the code. The owner keeps one of them and sends the other one to the National Register of Animal Owners.

And the chip will help to find the owner of a lost dog. A tracker works on the opposite principle – it helps owners to find their dogs. Moreover, while a chip is a passive device, a tracker helps to find the dog actively. Or more precisely, it gives you information on where your dog is right now in the real time. It is also useful for cat owners if they are interested in where their little adventurers wonder during the day. For example, my cat spent a lot of time at my neighbours. I thought, she’s out there all day, hunting pigeons and playing with other cats and meanwhile, she has a second home in the next flat :).

A GPS tracker is a small box you can attach to your dog’s collar. You only have to recharge it regularly. And it’s not even that expensive as you might expect. The prices start at one thousand crowns.

If your dog is after any hare or roe deer it smells or no high fence can keep it on your garden, a tracker is the right thing for you and it is necessary for the safety of your dog.

Does your companion have a tracker? And what type have you decided for? I’ll be glad if you’ll share your experience.

 

Related articles

Tips for Games Played Together with a Cat

Cuddling and caressing is not everything. Cats also enjoy time spent together playing a game and moreover, this activity leads to strengthening your relationship. Your furry friend will let off some steam and will be definitely grateful that you spent...

Three Crucial Trends in Dog Nutrition

What are the newest trends in dog nutrition? And what is the opinion of experts and dog owners themselves? I have made a summary for you about what hot topics have been discussed in pet nutrition recently, both at home and abroad.

Abandoned Semi-captive Cats

Even though animal protection associations try hard, the number of semi-captive animals has been rising in the Czech Republic recently. Cat colonies are to be blamed for that as the cats reproduce there uncontrollably.

10 tips how to take proper care of a ferret

Are you planning to get a ferret and don’t know how to take care of this pet? Ferrets love freedom and movement, therefore it needs a lot of space as well as your attention. That’s why I come with 10 tips how to take care of this little beast. :)

Get in shape in the new year with your dog

If one of your New Year resolutions was to lose some weight you gained during Christmas and get fit, your dog companion may help you with that. Also, dog obesity is one of the issues vets have to deal with the most in recent years. What to do for a...

Catnip: Why are cats mad about it?

While Catnip is a herb with medicinal effect for people, it has different and much stronger effects on cats. Why does this undemanding perennial plant have an intoxicating effect on cats?