🏷️ Collar tags are the first line of pet identification

A microchip is permanent, but a collar tag is what gets your pet home faster — most members of the public will read a tag long before they take a...

A microchip is permanent, but a collar tag is what gets your pet home faster — most members of the public will read a tag long before they take a found animal to a vet for scanning. Every pet should wear a collar with a tag showing the pet’s name, your phone number, and ideally an out-of-area number too in case local lines are jammed. Tags are inexpensive and engraving services are widely available. The BC SPCA recommends combining tags with a microchip, registered with the BC Pet Registry (or, in the US, with the chip-maker’s database), for the strongest possible chance of reunification. Refresh tags whenever you move or change phone numbers — an old tag pointing to a disconnected number is worse than no tag at all. Cats with outdoor access should wear a breakaway collar to prevent strangulation. For dogs, also keep a current photo of you with the dog on your phone, useful for proving ownership at a shelter. During an evacuation, double up on identification: collar tag, microchip, and a temporary tag or marker showing your evacuation destination phone number, in case you become separated.

Source: BC SPCA — Pet ID Registration

Last reviewed 2026-05-02.

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