Amber Alert for pets?

An interesting new service is available. It's a service that sends out messages to shelters, groomers, pet stores, veterinarians, (or anyone else who wants to register) when a pet owner notifies the company that a pet is lost. The message alerts the receipients that the pet has been lost and gives a description and picture of the pet. So it's sort of like an Amber Alert for a lost pet! Hopefully, one of the recipients will see the animal, contact the company, and the company will contact the owner. Pet owners have to pay to register their pet with the service.

This is a new service, so we don't know whether to recommend it or not. But it's definitely in the "Why didn't I think of that?" category. This company uses existing technology to create an email/Twitter list and then it sends out messages to local subscribers when the owner lets them know the pet has been lost or stolen. Brilliant!

It's probably best to have a backup plan as well. Microchips are manufactured by multiple companies. Chances are your veterinarian carries at least one brand. When a pet with a microchip is brought in to a shelter or humane society, the animal can be scanned to read the microchip and find the registered owner. Or, some veterinarians can tattoo your dog for permanent identification. Perhaps the best method is the good old fashioned, low tech collar and tags.

Whatever method you choose, just have a plan.