You & NDR---How to become and NDR Authorized Agent

It is not difficult to become an NDR authorized tattooer. However, it is necessary to take the following steps to show NDR that you are capable of tattooing a client’s pet correctly and effectively. NDR asks for NO initiation fee from the tattooer, but we are very concerned that our agents reach and maintain a high level of competence in tattooing. Following these three steps will qualify you for authorization.

Step 1:

Obtain a good tattoo marker. Your future tattooing business hinges on the dependability of your equipment and the tattoo it produces. Lower quality battery operated units require frequent (and difficult) repair or replacement, and often produce tattoos of questionable quality and longevity. Equipment downtime means lost revenue for you, and is often disappointing and inconvenient to your client. NDR recommends and supplies a custom designed professional animal marker kit.

Step 2

Tattoo and register YOUR pet(s) with NDR> This is important to ensure that you have a working knowledge of the registration process and can explain it to your client. It also shows your clients that you believe in and are committed to the NDR system.

Step 3

Review and complete the enclosed authorization form and submit it to NDR. To do this, you must take a color photograph (Polaroids are fine) of a number tattooed by you on a third party’s pet (your own pet is not acceptable for this step.) Staple the picture of the tattoo to the authorization form in the space indicated. THE AUTHORIZATION FORM MUST BE NOTARIZED. Notary Publics can usually be found at banks, insurance offices, attorney’s offices or Town Halls. NOTE: The NDR registration form for the animal in the picture MUST be completed and submitted with your application.

It is important to NDR that you attain a respectable level of tattooing competence. A representative of NDR will review you tattoo photograph and, if necessary, contact you with suggestions and recommendations on how to improve you tattooing technique. Tattooing experts are always available to help you with any problems you encounter.

Remember – once you become authorized, you will receive a $7.00 commission each time you submit a $38.00 registration fee directly to NDR. This commission is in addition to the tattoo fee you charge, and is paid ONLY when YOU send in the registration and fee with your New Member Registration Report.

How the National Dog Registry Program Works:

Once Authorized, you will receive the following materials:
· A frameable Certificate of Authorization
· A frameable National Dog Registry Code of Ethics Certificate
· A Master copy of your New Member Registration Report (you submit copies)
· A counter display unit for customer information brochures
· Signs, pamphlets and various effective support materials for promoting the
  tattoo/registration process
· Literature re-order form
· All literature, in any quantity you require, is supplied at no charge.

1) You must become thoroughly acquainted with all materials supplied by NDR.

2) The national average fee for a single tattoo is about $10.00. Multiple pets are usually discounted. You keep the entire tattoo fee.

3) At the time of tattooing, your client completes the NDR registration application. You collect the form and a check for $38.00, payable to NDR.  NDR also accepts VISA, Mastercard and Discover. All registrations must be submitted to NDR within 48 hours and MUST be accompanied by a New Member Registration Report Form so we can properly track and promptly pay your commissions.

4) The commissions for $38.00 registrations received in any given month are paid after the beginning of the second month following submission. For example, commissions for registrations sent in during June would be paid in early August. Single animal registrations are non-commissionable and should not be listed on the New Member Registration Report.

Affiliating with National Dog Registry is a win-win scenario. The NDR System is good for you clients and good for your business. It is difficult to adequately describe the elation you will feel when a pet you’ve tattooed and registered is recovered by NDR. Pet recoveries are news, and you area newspapers, radio and television frequently report them.

NDR helps build your business. Each time a potential client in your area calls NDR and asks for a tattooer in his area, your name is given. Clients you would otherwise never have seen will be exposed to you business and services. Many new clients will be contacting you because of NDR referrals. Offering the NDR service in your area is news! Newspapers, radio and television will be glad to announce this valuable service free of charge. NDR will supply you with the press releases necessary to garner excellent publicity for you business. Staff at NDR can help you schedule, set up, and properly promote tattoo/registration clinics.

National Dog Registry conducts a continual nationwide advertising campaign in all major pet related publications, such as Dog Fancy, Dog World, Dogs USA, AKC Gazette, Pet Health News, Pet Age, Groom and Board, etc. National Dog Registry can also help you ewith co-op advertising money. Details are provided in the promotion kit you obtain when you become Authorized.

Insurance

NDR has received many calls asking about how a tattooer can secure liability insurance. After an industry-wide search, NDR was unable to find a company that issues a liability policy for tattooing alone. Some companies provide groomer’s insurance, and offer an inexpensive rider to the policy to cover tattooing. Because of its “safe” history, several companies expressed interest in developing a policy just for tattooers but indicated that the minimum annual premium (in order to make it “worth their while”) would be around $350.00. NDR considers this unacceptable since, to our knowledge, there has NEVER been a recorded case of a death or even a serious infection caused by an NDR Tattooer. Our tattoo procedure has been proven on over 4 million dogs and cats since 1966.
We consulted our attorneys and were advised that, in the eyes of the law, a pet is considered personal property. As such, in the unlikely event of death or other “damage” a tattooer could only be held liable for the animal’s replacement cost – probably under $600.00. However, in the interest of supporting our Authorized Agents and to put their concerns to rest, NDR has developed an Emergency Liability Fund of up to $5000.00 to cover any infection or accident caused by the tattooing process. Only Authorized Agents strictly adhering to NDR’s official tattoo procedure and method can be eligible for this coverage. Details about this innovative program will be provided once you become Authorized.

Official NDR Tattooing Procedure

Materials Required:
· Tattoo marker
· Alcohol in a spray bottle
· Vaseline (preferably carbolated)
· Phisoderm (or other liquid disinfecting soap) in a spray bottle, diluted 2-3 tablespoons in 8 ounces of
  water, or according to indicated formula
· Professional quality disinfectant in a spray bottle, diluted 2-3 tablespoons in 8 ounces of water, or
  according to indicated formula
· Tissues
· Paper towels
· Rubber or disposable plastic film gloves

Setup:

1) Organize all the supplies on a separate table (placed so it can be easily reached by the tattooer.) Write down the number to be tattooed, and repeat it slowly and carefully to the owner to confirm. TATTOOS CANNOT BE ERASED. Place the number on the supply table in a visible location
2) Place a glove on the non-writing hand
3) Place the dog on its right side on a table, with the owner at its head. The owner’s right arm, just below the elbow, should be place over the dog’s neck (applying gentle pressure) while the right hand grips the right front paw. The owner’s left arm should remain free for stroking, comforting and reassuring the pet.
4) The tattooer’s assistant stands behind the dog’s lower back, with his right arm around and gripping the left thigh and paw. The assistant’s left hand holds the right rear leg in an extended fashion to give the tattooer a clear area of the thigh on which to work
If a table is not available, this may be done on the floor.

The Tattoo Procedure:

Shave the upper right thigh area as close to the skin as possible. A Number 30 blade is excellent for this purpose. On large dogs, shave a 3” high x 4” wide area (approx), on medium dogs 2” x 3”. On small dogs an area 1 ½” x 1 ½” is all that is necessary. Remove as many fine hairs as possible.

Spray the shaved area with alcohol to clean and disinfect. Let the alcohol stand on the surface 5-10 seconds, then wipe it off with a tissue. Apply a thin layer of Vaseline to the shaved area. It is only necessary to use enough Vaseline to make the skin shiny. Don’t “rub it in.” This layer of Vaseline will allow the marker to glide easily over the skin.

Hold the tattoo marker like you would a ball point pen. Turn on the marker, and dip the tip (only for an instant) approximately 1/8” into the ink. DO NOT TOUCH THE SIDES OR BOTTEM OF THE CUP WITH THE MARKER TIP. This loads enough ink for one letter.

Using your gloved hand, stretch the skin in the shaved area. Hold the marker as perpendicular (up and down) to the skin as possible and write the first digit. Use as much pressure as you would when writing with a ball point pen. Numbers should be shaped in the following manner to minimize the possibility of alteration and maximize readability.

Letters should be simple block letters. It is not necessary to make characters larger than ½” .Keep your numbers fairly small and clear. Remember, the tattoo line will “expand” slightly as the tattoo ages, so make the open spaces (loops, etc.) big enough that they will not “close up” and make the tattoo unreadable. Repeat the procedure for each digit required. The following number positions can be used for tattoos.

When the tattoo is complete, spray the area with Phisoderm and wipe clean immediately. Phisoderm removes all excess ink on the animal’s skin (and your hands). It also has disinfectant qualities. You may find that certain numbers need to be “touched up” slightly to omake them clear. If this is necessary, clean again with Phisoderm when finished. Apply a final layer of Vaseline to protect the area. A slight scab will form over the numbers, and will fall of within a few days. ALWAYS CAUTION THE OWNER TO KEEP THE TATTOOED AREA FREE OF HAIR AT ALL TIMES SO THE TATTOO CAN BE EASILY SEEN.

Cleaning the marker:

Hold your marker in the writing position over a wastebasket or newspaper and turn it on. Spray alcohol down the barrel near the point to clean out any ink. Don’t wipe the tip dry—give the marker a short shake to remove any excess. You may proceed immediately to the next dog. If finished for the day, allow the alcohol to dry.

Cleaning the table:

It is an advisable precaution to spray the table with disinfectant and dry it with a paper towel between animals.

Tricks of the Trade:

Keep treats nearby so you can give one to the dog after the tattoo is completed.
Disposable gloves are inexpensive, easy to use, and keep tattoo ink from staining your hands while stretching the animal’s skin. It is not necessary to wear a glove on the hand holding the marker. It should not come in contact with the ink.

If you have problems:

If the tattoo seems extremely light or “spotty,” make sure your marker is properly adjusted. Refer to the instructional video included with your marker for this procedure. When the marker is running, the needle should come out of the tip 1/16th of an inch (the thickness of a nickel). If your marker is properly adjusted, try “writing” more slowly – that is, moving the tattoo marker more slowly across the skin. When tattooing a very dark-skinned animal, the tattoo may seem too light even if the marker is properly adjusted. If this occurs, use a “feathering” technique to make your characters. Move the marker in short, brushlike strokes, doing a little at a time. This will produce a darker tattoo. Remember that the tattoo lines will become thicker, so make your characters accordingly.

What number should you tattoo?

NDR will accept any letter and/or number sequence that has been tattooed on a pet. Each type of tattoo number has stronger and weaker points, but they all work if they are registered with NDR.

The Social Security number has long been used for unique pet identification. Its nine-digit sequence is easily recognized, and your number will never be utilized by another person. The Social Security number is associated with a person for his or her lifetime and is a very dependable number to register. The Social Security Administration is prohibited by law from divulging any information to anyone about anyone, for any rea\son. Calling them about finding a tattooed dog will do no good. Maintaining owner/tattoo information is the job of National Dog Registry. Should a person transfer ownership of a pet bearing a Social Security number tattoo, we suggest that the initials of the new owner be added to the tattoo and the new sequence operator, contact NDR for information about our special programs.

A kennel club number is a good tattoo number for purebred dogs. While kennel clubs maintain records on ownership, they are not necessarily kept up to date. Often they do not contain certain information necessary to return a pet. Most kennel clubs are only open weekdays and in most cases take days to track information. NDR is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. NDR Hotline’s main function is to track owner information on found tattooed pets. Most pets are lost during evening hours, holidays, weekends, and vacations. Your tattoo information must always be easy to reach. NDR registers kennel club numbers, but suggests that the letters “NDR” be added before the rest of the number sequence.

NDR generated numbers may be obtained be calling our main office. Special numbering sequences are available for shelters, rescue groups and veterinary clinics.

Although we can accept them, we do not recommend telephone numbers, Post Office box numbers and dates. Please call if you have any questions or need advice. (1-800-NDR-DOGS)