What’s the difference between a licensed pet and an unlicensed pet? One has a quick trip home if they get lost, but the other? Well, they come with some pretty serious implications should they take a solo trip around the neighborhood– implications not only for them and their worried family but for their community, too.
Licensed pets that become lost make it home faster than their unlicensed counterparts – that’s a fact. A pet’s license tag acts as a beacon of ownership for anyone who encounters them while on the loose; it basically screams, “I HAVE A HOME!”. If a pet has a DocuPet tag on, then they are also protected by the HomeSafe™ 24/7 lost pet service, which is provided for free with every license tag (or non-license tag for the folks who don’t live in a DocuPet licensing community…yet).
So, why is it such a dramatic production when an unlicensed pet is on the loose? If you’ll allow us to quote Shrek for a moment here, unlicensed pets are like onions– there are layers that amount to bigger problems for them and their community when they are on the loose.
Let’s get into it 👇
Strained Shelters
Shelters are the primary caregivers for the most vulnerable animals in our communities. The majority of animal shelters face a unifying and stark reality: the number of animals in their care often outweighs their funding and space, making it difficult to operate. Shelters are a vital community lifeline for our local animals, yet resources are often limited.
While shelters do expect to handle their fair share of lost pets, adding temporarily displaced pets with loving homes into a shelter’s already packed workload can add strain to shelters and their services. Thankfully though, an animal’s time spent in shelters is drastically lowered (heck, in lots of cases, even nonexistent) when that pet Is wearing their license tag.
Unlicensed pets without tags eat up shelter resources while awaiting reunification. In some instances, the time spent searching for a pet’s owner can take hours, days, or weeks if that pet is not equipped with proper identification. In that time, the lost pet dips into the shelter’s food supply, space, and staff care allocation. Meanwhile, a lost pet with a license tag spends little to no time at the shelter at all since their license tag contains their owner’s contact info either explicitly or by searching a pet’s unique license ID number. Just by glancing at their license tag, they are one phone call away from getting this already-loved fur ball back home, all without taking space and care from shelter pets who truly rely on it.
Public Safety
A license tag isn’t just a symbol of pet ownership; depending on where you live, it can also serve as proof that a pet is up to date on its vaccinations and is protected against rabies. The majority of communities in North America require pets to be vaccinated against rabies in order to be licensed. Confirmation of vaccination is essential if a pet bites another person or animal.
Say your dog is bitten by a lost dog with no tag on – how can you confidently confirm that dog doesn’t have rabies? Without a proper license or an owner to ask, you can’t. A brief rundown on rabies: rabies is a fatal but preventable disease that affects animals and humans. It infects the central nervous system and is spread through saliva, usually by a bite. A postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) shot is available to treat affected humans, but for dogs, it’s virtually fatal. Over 150 countries worldwide are impacted by rabies, which, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), kills thousands of humans each year. Dogs are responsible for human rabies transmission in up to 99% of instances. Sound scary? It should. And that’s why for the safety of you, your pet, and your community, measures are put into place to ensure a rabies outbreak doesn’t occur (we’re looking at you, pet licenses.)
Community Resources
When a licensed pet is found wandering, it’s as easy as checking their license tag to start the process of getting them back home where they belong. For unlicensed pets, there’s a bit more red tape.
Animal Control Officers (ACOs) are usually the main point of contact when it comes to handling reports of lost pets on the run, but they also provide a number of invaluable resources to the community. To name a few:
- Investigate cases of animal abuse and neglect
- Perform animal rescues
- Respond to emergencies
- Look into dangerous dog and dog bite complaints
- Assist local law enforcement agencies
- Advocate humane animal education in the community
Whether it’s an ACO going on a call for a possible lost pet and transporting them to a shelter or even a citizen holding onto a lost pet for the day (including a trip to the vet to find out if they are microchipped), all of this uses up critical time, resources and money for those involved. On the other hand, a pet’s license tag holds all the information they need to quickly get a lost pet home, allowing them to ideally bypass the trip to the shelter or vet altogether.
Licensed Pets Get Home Quicker, Easier and Safer
To put it in Monopoly terms, not licensing your pet is a chance you don’t want to play around with.
Unlicensed pets: don’t pass go, don’t collect treats, and go spend time at the shelter 👎
Licensed pets: do pass go, do collect treats, and go home (fast) 👍
To recap, unlicensed pets on the run not only create strain on local shelters and animal control resources, but they can also pose a risk to public health in the community. The good news? There’s an easy solution. The simple act of licensing is THE powerful and preventive measure you can take to keep your pet and community safe. When you license your pet, you provide them with a golden one-way ticket back home, meaning little to no public resources are used to get them back in your arms. Your pet (and your community!) will thank you for it.
