An alarming trend has emerged, prompting pet owners to reconsider the details they include on their pets’ tags. Recent reports from Inside Edition have highlighted instances where individuals used the information on pet tags to track down the owners.
One incident involved Shay Grayson, who recounted her experience to Inside Edition. While walking her Maltese, a stranger approached her, requesting to take a photo of her dog. However, his true intention was soon revealed.
“I noticed that he was actually holding up her dog collar and the dog tag, and then I realized he was actually taking a picture of my address, which was on the dog tag, not on my dog,” Grayson said. Realizing the potential threat, Grayson chased the man, demanding he delete the photos. “My home could be broken into. Or whenever I took my dog out one day, he could be out there to either kidnap my dog or to do something to me. There were so many things that could happen with him having my address,” she expressed, highlighting the dangers of such actions.
Similarly, Michelle Kimball faced a disturbing situation, although she was unaware of it at the time. She only discovered what had happened after receiving a phone call from a stranger. “I was thinking in my head, I said, ‘I don’t know anybody by that name? How did you get my phone number?’ He said, ‘Oh, I got it off your dog’s collar,’” Kimball shared. The man had asked to pet her German Shepherd, Nilla, during a walk, seizing the opportunity to photograph her phone number from the dog’s collar. “Why would anybody think that’s okay, just to get my phone number from my dog’s collar? That’s in case my dog gets lost,” Kimball questioned, baffled by the audacity.
These women are not isolated cases. One YouTube commenter revealed a similar encounter: “That’s exactly how my obsessive ex-husband found out where I was living after our nasty divorce. My mom took care of my dog while I was at work, and she would let her out in the fenced yard for a little while every day.”
Safety expert Barb Jordan warns that dog parks are particularly vulnerable locations, as people often let their guard down in these friendly environments. “We never think that people are going to be using our dogs to get close to us. But predators, they have no limits. They have no boundaries,” Jordan stated.
These abusers are facing numerous charges of animal abuse, but we must also ensure they never own or interact with pets again and receive counseling for their twisted psychological states.
To safeguard personal information, Jordan advises only putting a phone number on pet collars. Additionally, microchipping pets can enhance security, as contact information is accessible only when the chip is scanned by a veterinarian. The PetHealthNetwork also recommends omitting the pet’s name from tags to prevent potential dog or catnappers from easily calling the animal.
Acknowledging that the dog is microchipped on the collar tag and consulting with a veterinarian for the best options can further protect both pets and their owners from these emerging threats.