What Details Should be on a UK Dog ID Tag?
The UK is one of the best places to own a dog with an abundance of places to enjoy with your best friends. From parks and beaches, beautiful countryside, woodlands and fields where they can enjoy running off the lead, chasing, paddling, swimming, sniffing or even just relaxing in the shade under a tree on a picnic with the family. There are more and more places where dogs are welcome popping up daily and with many hotels now realising that doggy guests are a draw to pet parents who cannot bear to holiday without their fur babies, it's easy to enjoy a staycation with the whole family.
That said, when out and about in the UK, identification, either inscribed on the collar, or engraved on a dog tag, is required by law when a dog is in a public place. This makes sense, given the freedom dogs are allowed.
The Control of Dogs Order (1992) warns that if a dog is not wearing ID, a fine of up to £5000 can be issued.
ID inscribed on a collar cannot include all the information legally required, so an engraved dog tag is the best form of identification. As well as complying with the law, a dog tag with contact details can be the fastest way to reunite you with your dog if they do unfortunately get lost. It is the most important accessory you can put on a dog.
To comply with the law, a dog identification tag requires the owner’s name and address be included (house number/name and postcode)
- but contact details (including a phone number) are the most important information a dog should carry.
Whilst not necessary, it can also be a good idea to include the dog's name and if your dog has any specific medical issues
(this can be added on a separate medical alert tag if needed and more information is required than can fit on the main tag) for example "Diabetic - Please do not feed"
If you are a professional dog walker or dog trainer then we always recommend that you attach a second tag (in addition to the owners tag) with your business and contact details on. We offer discounts for bulk orders, are able to include logos and other branding, and have special offers for IMDT members and IMDT / MDWA registered dog walkers.
Please get in contact for details either via bark@wyldepaw.com or via the live chat on our website.
We get lots of questions from customers who are concerned about including their address on their dog’s tag. Their worry is that it might make it easier for dog thieves to locate and steal their dog. Many choose not to include the address on the tag and instead include contact numbers. We will only ever engrave your dog tag with the information you request we add.
Many people like to include the word ‘Microchipped’ or ‘Chipped’ on their tag. It is a legal requirement for all dogs to be microchipped in the UK,
but many people who find a lost dog may not realise this.
Having ‘Chipped’ engraved on the tag will let them know that the dog is registered with a microchip database. They will also know they can take the dog to a vet to be scanned, should they cannot contact with the owner using the information provided on the tag. This could also deter dog thieves, who know that if the dog is ever scanned it will reveal the true owner.
We do not recommend including your pet’s microchip number on the tag. Not only is it very long (meaning it will be difficult to read),
but knowing this number may increase the risk of theft and using it to transfer ownership.
It's best to not over-complicate the details on the dog ID tag by not including irrelevant information. Avoid adding words like:
- Telephone
- Please call
- Please call my family
- Thank you
- I’m lost if I’m alone
The more text engraved on a tag, the smaller the text will be. Engrave the information that will help the finder reunite you with your dog as soon as possible.
At Wyldepaw we are in the unique position that we can engrave almost anything onto your dog ID tag!
On top of the important information we can include images, logos and even add QR codes that link directly to your pets social media, reach out to us if you have any questions or ideas that you would like to explore.
We always send out a digital mock-up of your tags for approval before engraving, so that you can check any spelling, numbers and how it will look.