Yesterday my husband and I were driving to Crystal Lake, Illinois for an appointment. On busy Route 14 we saw a black dog eating trash from a McDonald’s bag on the side of the road. A man had gotten out of his car and was walking towards the dog. We pulled off the road to see if we could help. He asked us if this was our dog, but actually we thought it was his dog.
The dog was so intent on eating the contents of the bag that the man was able to hold onto her collar and pick her up. He said he didn’t have time to find her owners so we took her. Once the dog was in our car, I checked her collar for ID tags. YES! Her name was Lexi and she had an ID tag and a county license tag. I called the number on the ID tag but there was no answer.
My husband informed me we were low on gas and needed to stop to fuel up. At the gas station, I called my friend, Becky, who lives on the same street as Lexi’s family which was on her ID tag. Luckily she was just around the corner doing some shopping so we arranged to meet up and Becky delivered Lexi home.
I got to thinking…. How much would it have cost Lexi’s family to reclaim her from the local animal control if she hadn’t been wearing visible identification?
I pulled up their website:
Redemption Fee: Animals with identification (Id tag, microchips, tattoos), which identifies the owner at their current address – $45.00
Redemption Fee: Animals without identification or identification which does not identify the owner at their current address – $55.00
Boarding fees – $10.00 daily.
Other county fees are different but the point is the same.
Current ID tags and/or a rabies tag will save an owner time and money.
Does your dog have current identification on his/her collar? Your dog is depending on you to make sure he or she gets safely home.