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Most of the pets reported to us do not have any identification! We urge you to keep a collar and tags on your dog at all times. It is a little more difficult with cats because there is a chance they may get caught on something, but you may want to consider the break-away collars that are available. Dogs are required to be licensed by the age of four months. If your town animal control officer or the DCSPCA finds your dog, they can trace the license number and reunite you with your pet quickly. If someone else finds your dog, having a name tag with phone number will help return your pet quickly. Because dog collars and tags are quite often lost and owners do not like to put collars on cats, microchipping is becoming very popular (See the website for Home Again). This is permanent identification. A tiny microchip is implanted under the pet's skin, usually placed under the loose skin on the shoulder. The implanting process is quick and no more painful than a vaccination. The chip can't get lost, the number is unique and it is read by a scanner. Most Shelters and Veterinarians have scanners. (If your Vet does not have a scanner, urge them to get one. They are not expensive.) If a chip is present, the scanner will read the number. A call is then made to the appropriate registry for the identity of the owner.