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Operation identification
Stray dog an example of why owners should register pets
Published Saturday, November 3, 2007
A skittish dog who has eluded capture since last spring could be the poster pet highlighting the need for pet owners to identify their animals, say local Humane Society officials.
“In a rural community, people tend to let their pets run without identification,” Humane Society Director Carol Schaaf said, adding state law requires animals be identified, either with a tag, tattoo or microchip. Every dog should have a rabies tag, which would also be helpful in locating the owner.
“(Identifying an animal) can be as simple as writing a phone number on the collar,” she said.
The Humane Society has a scanner and scans all animals that come into the shelter, Schaaf said, but it is rare to hear the tell-tale beep which indicates the animal has a chip implanted. When a chip is detected, it takes a simple phone call to reunite the pet with its owner.
The unidentified dog, possibly a border collie or spaniel, has no collar and attempts to capture the dog have failed, said Zina Puchalski, Otter Tail County Humane Society manager. But many people have seen the dog and called the Society concerned about its safety.
“We’ve had a lot of calls through the spring, summer and fall from people,” she said. “They are really concerned over this dog.”
The calls began last spring when residents spotted the black and white dog and were unable to catch it.
“Plans are in the works to capture the dog,” she said. “But few people can get close enough to get it in a pet taxi or on a leash. A sudden movement sends the dog running.”
Last weekend’s effort by the Humane Society and the city of Fergus Falls, involved sedation by pill, but the dog remains too afraid of people for the method to work, Puchalski said, adding the use of live traps has also failed because the dog is too smart.
A tranquilizer gun is not an option, according to both Schaaf and Puchalski, because the dog stays out of range and it would be dangerous if a good shot is not made, they said.
Why the dog is running loose is a mystery. It may have escaped from an abusive situation, or more likely, Puchalski believes it may have been abandoned.
Initially, callers feared the dog was starving, and it would get hit by a car; now, with the weather turning colder, concern has changed to worry the animal will freeze, Puchalski said.
“Everybody feels sorry for the dog, but I keep thinking, boy, he’s got it made,” she said.
Perhaps she’s got a point. The dog, identified as a female, is running a pretty wide area — which Puchalski asked not be revealed so efforts to capture the dog aren’t thwarted — doing what she wants. She has shelter and is getting fed.
Three or four businesses and homeowners keep food out and straw bales have been thrown into a field where the dog has been seen running, she said.
One person, Melissa Hagel, a courier for a shipping service, has been able to get close to the dog, and confirmed her gender with others. She calls the dog Sam.
“I think she’s a really good dog, who needs a good home,” Hagel said. “She’s never shown any aggression. People really want for her to be OK. I just want her to be caught and put into a safe home.”
Should the dog eventually be caught, there are a couple people interested in its adoption, Schaaf said.
“If we can catch it, it will have a good home,” she said.
Comments
The Daily Journal is happy to host community conversations about news and life in Fergus Falls and the surrounding area. As hosts, we expect guests will show respect for each other. That means we don't threaten or defame each other, and we keep conversations free of personal attacks. Witty is great. Abusive is not. If you think a post violates these standards, don't escalate the situation. Instead, flag the comment to alert us. We'll take action if necessary. It's not hard. This should be a place where people want to read and contribute -- a place for spirited exchanges of opinion. So those who persist with racist, defamatory or abusive postings risk losing the privilege to post at all.Posted by Dogpressorg (anonymous) on November 4, 2007 at 12:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
RFID Chip Implants Are Linked to Animal Tumors
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved implanting microchips in humans and already allowed the implantation of Micro Chips in pets and animals, the manufacturer said it would save lives and allow owners to find their pets when lost, as well as human use of letting doctors scan the tiny transponders to access patients' medical records. The FDA found "reasonable assurance" the device was safe, however, they failed to research the many studies already accomplished to prove a link of RFID chip implantation to cancer in animals.
Neither the RFID companies nor government regulators, nor mass media, publicly mentioned this: A series of veterinary and toxicology studies, dating to the mid-1990s, stated that chip implants had "induced" malignant tumors in some lab mice and rats.
"The transponders were the cause of the tumors," said Keith Johnson, a retired toxicologic pathologist, explaining in a phone interview the findings of a 1996 study he led at the Dow Chemical Co. in Midland, Mich.
Leading cancer specialists reviewed the research for The Associated Press and, while cautioning that animal test results do not necessarily apply to humans, said the findings troubled them. Some said they would not allow family members or their pets to receive RFID Chip implants, and all urged further research before the glass-encased transponders are widely implanted in people or pets.
Sources for this information: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Animals_Cl...
and
http://animalsclubfreedom.us/
Posted by kemp6908 (anonymous) on November 5, 2007 at 6:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What's the option??? Cattle tags?
Posted by Dogpressorg (anonymous) on November 6, 2007 at 3:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
(Animalid.biz) - The following are pet identification methods.
The ID tag is the most basic form of pet ID. You can buy one from an instant pet ID tag machine at the pet supply store, at your vet, on line or from a catalog. Make sure it has your pet's name, your phone number with the area code, and your current address. If your pet has a medical problem, include that information. Additionally, you might provide your vet's name and phone number. Your pet should also wear an up-to-date rabies tag along with a city or county license tag. Hang these tags from your pet's collar or harness and keep it on at all times because you never know when he'll become lost or stolen. Another good idea is to write your phone number on the collar or harness in case the tags should fall off. If you move, don't forget to remove the tag with the old contact information and obtain a tag with your new information. Should you lose your pet or find a lost animal with tags, you can call any of several national tag registries for assistance.
Tattooing is a more permanent identification option. Tattoos using alphanumeric coding and registered in a national database can be made in the groin, ear (but beware, ears can be cut to eliminate the tattoo), stomach or inner thigh. A tattoo will protect a pet, for a time, from euthanasia at a shelter, and research labs will not accept tattooed animals. The down side is that tattoos can become less legible over time. They are also not practical for kittens and puppies, who will grow larger and stretch the tattoo, or on long-haired or dark-skinned animals. Other kinds of tattoos use the pet's contact information, but if that changes, they are no longer useful. Tattoos cost about $15 plus the cost of anesthesia. There are several national tattoo registries that can provide more information on the pros and cons of tattoos.
Cattle tags work well on cattle, but not on a pet dog, cat or small animal. There are also cattle tags that now contain an RFID chip in the tag, but not inserted into the animal itself.
Last but not least, don't forget to have an up-to-date photo and written description of your pet on hand in case you need to show others what he looks like, should he be lost. And whatever method of identification you may decide upon, be sure to keep a record of current tattoo, microchip, license and rabies tag numbers.
Micro-chipping using RFID chips have many manufacturers and use many varied frequencies, so many RFID readers will not detect other used frequency chips, example in pets, your local animal shelter's RFID reader may not read the specific frequency of RFID chip in your pet. Additionally, the recently raised issue of cancer being caused from RFID chips inside animals is also of great concern, to avoid RFID chipping of pets, animals, and humans.
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