A tattoo registered with the National Dog Registry is the wisest gift you can give your pet. "Why should I register my pet’s tattoo number?" "Is a registration really necessary?" It is important to understand that an unregistered tattoo or a tattoo that is registered only with a "local" organization is a worthless recovery tool. There is no reliable way to trace the identity or ownership of an animal with an unregistered tattoo. And since a lost or stolen pet frequently is found a great distance from home, the person who finds your pet may not be aware of the existence of a "local" system. This is what we frequently hear... "But my pet is tattooed with my social security number (or driver’s license or telephone number) They’ll be able to find me from that." "But my veterinarian keeps all our records." "But I can’t afford the registration fee." "Why should I register with NDR?" Let’s look at the above arguments for not registering. First, the Social Security Administration has little information on anyone who is not actively collecting benefits and is prohibited by law from divulging any information, except in very special situations. A Driver’s License Number or telephone number is equally ineffective. In one case a research facility contacted NDR to report a tattooed pet that ended up in one of its laboratories. The animal had a telephone number tattooed to its leg--with no area code! In a desperate attempt to find the owner, NDR called every state in the US. The number was not traceable. "How does a registered tattoo help my pet get home?" Even if your pet is registered locally with a veterinarian, the finder will not know who to call. Veterinarians and most local registries are not available on a 24 hour basis. Most lost pets are found in the evening, on a weekend or holiday, often hundreds of miles from home. Can’t afford the registration? We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or several post-dated checks for the total registration fee. And if our Agent truly feels that there is no way you can afford the procedure, he or she will donate the tattoo and the NDR will donate the registration fee! All service dogs are registered at no charge to their owners. If your pet’s ID is not registered with a known, national system, you have wasted your time, effort, and money, and your animal remains unprotected. NDR is the oldest, largest, and most respected animal recovery registry in the world. During the the past four decades we have steadfastly maintained this vital service, NDR has developed a loyal following among a host of well known people and organizations concerned with animal safety. "How does NDR help recover my lost or stolen pet?" At great expense to NDR, we receive thousands of calls each year from animal control officers, veterinarians, and others who find an ID on an animal. We make numerous phone calls attempting to help find the owner, but are unable to help return a pet to its home because the number was not registered. Our standard procedure is to contact all other registries to try to trace numbers that are not registered in our system. Costs in labor and phone bills can run as high as several hundred dollars for each unregistered number we attempt to trace! People who find and try to return an unregistered pet lose their trust in the effectiveness of pet identification systems, and they are less likely to call if they find another lost animal. NDR
feels very strongly that tattooing or implanting without registration
not only is wrong, but criminal. NDR’s Authorized Agents
are required to register each animal at the
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