After the all-important collar, the ID tag is a fundamental necessity for any dog or cat. Aside from vet-implanted microchips, pet tags may provide the only information available to someone who finds your lost animal. Without them, your dog or cat could be taken to a shelter, where the recovery rate is fairly low. Of the 6.5 million animals that enter shelters in the United states, only about 710,000 are recovered, according to the ASPCA. Fortunately, there’s no need to take such a risk. Pet tags are generally cheap and widely available, as well as being customizable so that all the pertinent information travels with your pet wherever they may roam. In fact, with so many options, it’s kind of fun picking out which information-bearing emblem your pet will sport. If you’re in the market for personalized identification for your dog or cat, here’s our list of the top ten best pet ID tags
Dynotag is known for their travel tags, but they also make these convenient pet tags, great for cats and dogs. The way these work is that when the QR code with a phone or the address is entered into any browser, the location of the device will display on a private page particular to that tag. As soon as the location of the device is logged, an email will be sent to the owner. There’s also an access log of tag views.
Your owner information is also viewable so that anyone who has found your pet can contact you directly instead. Works anywhere with internet with no need for internal electronics, and the owner profile can be updated any time and as often as necessary. No recurring costs are associated with using the Dynotag.
Details:
Shapes available: Round
Colors available: Black/QR code
Format: Hang tag
Material: Steel with quieting protective coating
Maximum lines of text: None, but offers extensive online profile
The beauty of slide-on pet ID tags is that they entirely eliminate the noise of hang tag style options. They’re also very secure and incredibly unlikely to fall off except in the most extreme situations. Your pet’s details are plainly visible at a distance. The limitation is that they only work on relatively simple collars with a buckle, like the Kurgo Muck Collar, for example. You get up to 4 lines of personalized laser engraved text. Each tag size will fit a specific sized collar width:
If you don’t need something particularly durable and want to save a couple of bucks — while also getting into colored tags — these could be a good option for you. Made of anodized aluminum, these are incredibly lightweight tags available in a good variety of shapes and colors. No frills, customizable tags on the cheap.
Of course, in many cases, using a buckle-style collar doesn’t work. If your dog goes to daycare, for example, they’ll probably require that they have a quick-release mechanism. In that case, you’ll want something simple and to-the-point, like these stainless steel tags. They Include four lines of info on each side, perfect for pet name, phone number, and/or home address.
This tag has a pretty specific usage: to keep your indoor cats indoors. Brightly proclaiming that the the cat bearing this tag should not be visible out-of-doors, this can help track down a missing pet just that much more quickly. You can add your own text to the back across four lines with 20 characters per line.
If you’re having a bit of trouble sliding on the rigid medal tags above, you might consider these. The silicone allows them to bend and flex more easily, which makes for simpler installation. It also makes it easier to be removed for cleaning. The information field is bigger, too, offering five lines of 20 characters each.
Details:
Shapes available: Rectangle
Colors available: Pink, blue, black, red
Format: Slide-on
Material: Silicone and aluminum
Maximum lines of text: Four, with 20 characters per line
Another QR code based option, this one renders a bit nicer with its paw design over a colored background. As with the Dynotag, the QR code links to your pet’s custom page with all the necessary contact and health information. In addition to the same device GPS information available on the Dynotag, there is a 24-hour hotline where operators work to reunite owners with lost pets. Not a bad feature set, given the price.
Details:
Shapes available: Round, heart, bone
Colors available: Black, blue, pink, red
Format: Hang tag
Material: Zinc alloy
Maximum lines of text: None, but offers extensive online profile
The charm of this option comes down to one thing: adding bling to your life. If your cat or dog requires sparkle for their ID tag, this option is the one for you. Trimmed with Swarovski crystals, this tag will set your dog apart at the park. All feature clear crystals, except the silver tag, which uses blue.
Details:
Shapes available: Bone, heart, round
Colors available: Blue, purple, red, pink, silver, black
Format: Hang tag
Material: Stainless steel
Maximum lines of text: One on the front for pet name, four on the back
Again leaning more heavily on whimsy than strict function, these fun stainless steel tags feature bright colors and fun symbol-style designs. You get your choice of eight colors and 13 designs so you can create a custom tag to suit your pet’s personality.
Details:
Shapes available: Round
Colors available: Black, blue, green, orange, hot pink, light pink, purple, red backgrounds with paw, daisy, bowl, heart, cat, bone, fish, pirate dog, pirate cat, skull, dog, crown, and mouse designs
Format: Hang tag
Material: Stainless steel
Maximum lines of text: Four, with 20 characters per line
If you’re looking for something a little more custom and refined, consider these lovely pieces from The Copper Poppy. Made to order by hand on a farm in New Hampshire, these rustic tags offer the simple but high-end feel of vintage solid metal pieces. These are quite a nice upgrade from the usual tag faire. My dog wears one of the large quiet slide-on tags, beautifully embossed with his name, our phone numbers, and our hometown. Definitely worth a look.
