Rant: Protecting your pet!!!

This morning on my walk, I found a healthy dog running loose. She stayed with us during our entire walk. Once I got home, I gave her water and checked her tags. I called the number on the vaccination tag, which turned out to be my vet, but they weren't open yet. So, I decided to walk with her back to the part of the neighborhood where she joined our walk. Various folks were heading out to work and I asked them if they had seen her before. No one recognized her. So, we headed back to my house.

It was finally the time my vet opened so I called them. They had no record of the number listed on the vaccination tag. They suggested calling animal control - who wasn't open yet as it was only 7:00 am. I had to feed my cat and get ready for work so I closed the back yard gates with my new found friend enclosed within. The next time I checked she was gone.

It would have been extremely helpful if she would have had an identification tag with her name and a phone number where I could have reached her human companion. I always carry my cell phone on my walks so I would have had her reconnected and home pretty quickly. Folks tag your dogs - they can't talk, so you need to help them find their way home.