Did you know that nearly eight million pets end up in animal shelters each year, and that 75 percent are euthanized? I can’t stand the thought of someone’s beloved pet cat going missing and the sheer panic her owners must feel. If this ever were to happen to you, there’s a new service that could greatly increase the chances of finding your lost pet. IDtag.com is a nationwide (US and Canada), 24/7 interactive network for recovering lost pets and reuniting them with their families. You simply purchase one of their stylish ID tags for your pet to wear, and subscribe to the service (first 6 months are free, $9.95 per year to renew, $1.99 activation fee). Each tag comes with a unique “pet social security number” that you register at ID tag.com. If your pet goes missing, call the IDtag.com phone center or logon at IDtag.com and an instantaneous lost pet alert is automatically broadcast to shelters and rescue organizations within 50 miles of your pet’s last know location. IDtag.com’s network includes 15 thousand shelters and rescue organizations who will immediately be on the lookout for your pet.
When you initially register your ID tag, you can also upload photos of your pet and other information including veterinary records and owner contact info, which can be useful in an emergency. When your pet is found, operators at IDtag.com, who are on call 24/7, will immediately contact you on up to 6 different phone numbers.
The differences between using IDtag.com and a pet microchip include the following:
- ID tag is clearly visible
- Lower cost than microchips
- Non-invasive, no implants
- Automatic alert system to network of shelters and rescue organizations
- Easy to update pet info online
- No microchip reader needed
ENTER TO WIN A LIFETIME SUBSCRIPTION!
IDtag.com is offering a cat ID tag and a lifetime subscription to one lucky Moderncat reader! To enter please leave a comment on this post. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing on February 26. One entry per person. The service is only available in the US and Canada.
February 19th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
This is fantastic – and stylish to boot! What a great idea!
February 19th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
This seems like a great service to use in addition to a microchip.
February 19th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
i hope i never have to USE idtag, but still really want it!
February 19th, 2010 at 12:55 pm
I think my fluffy ones would not mind wearing those.
February 19th, 2010 at 1:04 pm
What a great service this is, and what an amazing giveaway! I have a mischievious kitty who tries to slip out the door and this would really give me peace of mind in case he ever gets lost.
February 19th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
This is the best idea ever!
February 19th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
Love this product!
February 19th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Very nice tags!
Here’s an id tag invention someone should get on – a GPS transmitter. So if your beloved pet goes missing you can just pull it up on a GPS and see where they are! If they can do it for kids…
February 19th, 2010 at 1:17 pm
What a great idea! I need to get one of these ASAP!
February 19th, 2010 at 1:44 pm
This is a pretty good idea–unless my cat gets hung up in something outside and his breakaway collar, you know, breaks away. That is the nice thing about the subcutaneous microchip; your pet can’t lose it.
February 19th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
great idea!
February 19th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
These look pretty nice!
February 19th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
This is absolutely amazing. I might end up buying one anyway if I don’t win, haha.
February 19th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
What a good idea!
February 19th, 2010 at 3:37 pm
idtag.com has an excellent service and I know the winner is going to be very glad to have it!
February 19th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
What an amazing I.Dea!!!! Much needed!
February 19th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
I like the kitty face ID tag
February 19th, 2010 at 5:15 pm
Although I think cats being left outdoors unsupervised is a bad idea for many reasons, it would be good to use this AND a microchip as a back up. Tags can come off or get taken off purposely by someone who steals your cat then dumps it at a shelter. You should also check to see if shelters in your area participate in this alert service. If they don’t, you should encourage them to do it.
February 19th, 2010 at 6:15 pm
What a fantastic idea!
February 19th, 2010 at 6:34 pm
Anything that might help reunite a kitty with his home is a good thing.
February 19th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
This is amazing! Such a great idea =)
February 19th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
This is a wonderful idea! I was at our local humane society several weeks ago when a woman brought in a cat that she had found. She had kept it for 3 months, but it didn’t get along with her other cats, so she brought it in. The first thing the humane society does is scan for a chip, and this cat had one! The woman stated that she hadn’t even thought to check, because none of her cats had a chip. I suspect that must happen a lot.
I would love the chance to have an ID tag which is registered, to go along with the phone number tag my cat already has.
Thanks for your great site!
February 19th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
These ID Tags are really cute. I would love to get one or four.
February 20th, 2010 at 12:16 am
i want my kittires found, should they ever get out!
February 20th, 2010 at 2:57 am
(not entering the contest, as living in France)
Still, I like microchips better. It takes a tiny act of surgery to place them, and a bigger one to remove them; much harder than taking off the cat’s collar to call it your own (whether intentionnally or not). Plus, microchips are using a nation-wide identification system, at least here in France, so once the cat finds his way to a shelter, it can be identified and returned to his owners immediately.
I use a double system: my cat has a microchip implanted in her shoulder, and she wears a collar for going outside, so that the first reaction of poeple is that she isn’t abandoned. Inside the collar, there’s my adress and phone number.
Simple and efficient…
February 20th, 2010 at 6:46 am
these are great. Maybe I would not have found my cat for a sale at Petsmart if he had one of these.
February 20th, 2010 at 7:00 am
I’ve just adopted a new cat (Leela), and one of these would be perfect for her! Pretty new tag for a pretty new cat. The poor girl was already in a shelter (and about a day away from being euthanized) once in her life, I don’t want her to have to go through that ever again!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:09 am
these are so cute…i’d feel much safer too…i lost a kitty 5 years ago and im still devastated
February 20th, 2010 at 7:09 am
Would love to have this for my cats!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:11 am
The pink kitty face is adorable!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:11 am
This is a must have for anyone who loves their kitties! Also would be excellent for emergency instructions I would think. A great idea!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:11 am
Great idea
February 20th, 2010 at 7:14 am
my baby loves to sneak out! I need THIS!! GREAT IDEA!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:15 am
This is such a great idea. My cat is always trying to get out (he was a feral kitten), so something like this might give me some peace of mind. Next step would be convincing him to wear a collar!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:17 am
The people at idTag are to be commended for their good work – oh, and i hope that you pick me, or rather my lovely, wander-lust-filled cat, Luna.
February 20th, 2010 at 7:18 am
I’d hate for my Tati to get out and get lost. She is microchipped, but this sounds like a better system.
February 20th, 2010 at 7:20 am
Wonderful idea. I wonder how long it took someone to look at the tag on their keys and look at their pet and go: “Heeeeey! That’s an idea!”
February 20th, 2010 at 7:21 am
4 years after the disappearance of the whippet “Vivi”, such items could alleviate one of the biggest fear of pet owners.
February 20th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Great idea. I think I’d use it with a microchip. That way if the collar/tag is lost there’s a backup with the chip or if they don’t think to scan for a chip and the collar/tag is still on they can find home that way. It certainly can’t hurt to have two options for finding an owner.
February 20th, 2010 at 7:22 am
these are great tags! and i’m so glad that there’s a network out there that does this for our pets! i didn’t even know about it. so our kitties definitely need to be on this!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:26 am
Having an adolescent kitten that likes to sneak out of the house, I woudl love to have something like this!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:31 am
This is a great idea!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:34 am
Great idea, and stylish too!
Would love to get these for my two kitties who are always ready to dash out the door whenever there’s a chance!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:34 am
I’d love one of these for my cat.
February 20th, 2010 at 7:36 am
Great idea!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:38 am
I think this would be a great addition to a chip since it’s a more visible notice that you should check for a chip, if not the tag.
February 20th, 2010 at 7:39 am
i would love one of those!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:40 am
My kitty is an indoor guy, but I would love this in case he ever got out!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:41 am
Cute tags!
February 20th, 2010 at 7:45 am
What a blessing! I’d feel so much more secure with little door buster wearing this.Thank you for the chance!