ANIMAL SECURITY

It is essential that pet owners carefully consider the safety of their pets. Below is a list of some essential security precautions you should take.

This list is not complete and extra precautions should be taken as and when the circumstances require.

Dogs : You should never leave your dog alone in the car. It can cause distress if the dog is left for long periods which could be fatal in hot weather, and secondly, your dog is a target for opportunist thieves. Pet Detectives have had many reported cases of stolen dogs which were left alone in a car.

Do not tie your dog up outside shops. Tying your dog up outside a shop leaves them in danger of being stolen by opportunist thieves. Many dogs are stolen in this way.

Never kennel a dog for extended periods in the garden. Pet Detectives would advise against kennelling animals in a garden, but if you do so, it is a must to ensure they have adequate security and are provided with food and water.

Your dog should be microchipped. A microchip is a very small chip, about the size of a grain of rice inserted between the shoulder blades. The cost of microchipping your animal is minimal, about £25 and includes life long membership to the pet log register and is incredibly important.

All rescues and dog wardens carry scanners, so any animal that is found by them will reveal a 12 digit number which can be rung into pet log (24 hours a day). This number will link to your own details, linking the lost pet to you.

For further details on microchipping enquire with your local vet.

Cats: Microchip your cat! Microchipping means one scan of an animal will link your pet to you via the pet log and enable your pet to be returned safely to you. If a pet is found and not microchipped, it is virtually impossible to link that animal to yourself.

If you have your cat from a kitten, keep them indoors as long as you can up to the age of 1, this is well after males have been neutered and will ensure he is a home loving cat and uninterested in straying, where he may get lost or hit by a car.

Never leave your cat outdoors when you are not at home. It is important your pet always has access to water and shelter.