It is estimated that a pet gets lost every two seconds in the United States.
And this is not surprising considering that statistics indicated that over 10 million pets will go missing every year. And apparently, only one in every ten such cases of pets going astray will reunite with their loving pet parents. In fact, a good chunk of them will wind up dead, get stolen or killed in traffic snarl-ups. It is for reason that PetHub Inc dedicated the month of July as the National Lost Pet Prevention Month in a bid to raise awareness of this appalling statistics. Every July each family with a feline or Fidos under their roof is encouraged to enforce measures that will ensure that their pet does not end up among the 33% of all dogs and cats that get lost at some point in their lifetime.
In line with this, here a few handy pet loss prevention measures that you can take into consideration this year July.
Keep them on a Leash
One of the easiest and most practical ways of minimizing the chances of your barking buddy straying off is by keeping them on a comfortable leash or harness. And the leash ought to be always on, regardless of whether you’re just going for a short stroll to the mailbox or on a trip out of town. Remember that most pets are naturally inquisitive by nature; what might appear as a short dash after a stray squirrel might end up being a gruesome 6-hour long search. Keep him on a leash, always.
Get your Pet a New Identification Collar
A good collar is the best line of defense against accidental pet loss for two reasons. For starters, it effectively lessens the chances of your pet slipping off his leash. Secondly, a well-labeled collar makes recovering your pet remarkably easy in case he wanders off to another person’s home. What’s more, you can also have their collar fitted with a RFID microchip to make tracking them down far easier should they wander off accidentally. Alternatively, the chip can also be implanted directly under the animal’s skin.
Obedience Training
Nothing can forestall losing a pet more effectively than proper discipline and obedience training. Bear in mind that it is several times easier to lose an undisciplined pet than one that has been raised and taught to recognize and obey simple commands. Not to mention that highly disciplined and obedient pets will rarely stray or wander off even in the absence of a leash.
SOURCE: Cat tipper
