Here at The Sensible Dog, we have encouraged the use of “Special Tags” and access to a Lost Dog Poster.  We have now teamed with Blanket ID to take safe pet identification to the next level.  We take Tucker traveling with us, which puts him at risk.  It is our responsibility to provide him with every safety precaution.

While there are many services which will help return a pet safely, we’ve chosen the Blanket ID for several reasons:
1.  Ease of use.
Each tag comes with a unique Blanket ID number and a pin to activate the membership. The online registration allows you to enter contact details, photos, anddetailed information about your pet, like allergies or medical conditions.  You can change this information as often as you choose.  If you’re traveling, you could update the information to say “On route to Michigan.  The contact number there is.”
2.  Response to a “Lost Pet” notification.
When you report your pet “lost”, BlanketID.com automatically sends a broadcast email to local SPCA, animal hospitals, shelters, other local blanketID members. The email links to your online information so that everybody has 24/7 access to a full description and photos to help identify your lost pet. You also get a copy of that email (and the Lost Pet Poster) to forward to other contacts or to print and post.
3. Response to a “ pet is found” notification.
At any time of day or night, the finder simply needs to enter the blanketID tag number at blanketID.com to gain immediate access to all of the information they need to care for and safely return your pet.  You also receive an email with information about who has found your pet.
4  Ease of update.
If you move or change your details, you can simply change them at blanketID.com. You will never need to change your tag. You can also change the tag to cover another pet, just by changing the online information.
5.  The tag.
The tag has a nice smooth, rounded feel and look, small enough for any pet (15mm x 25mm). With 22 patterns and more to be released soon, it has the look of a “Collar Charm”. The tags are 100% made in North America from quality materials, lightweight, waterproof and scratch resistant.
6, The Blanket Fund for Animals.
More than 15% of the BlanketID profits go to charities. They often choose local volunteer operated charities in the locales of the membership.
7.  The Funds Forever program.
BlanketID works with nonprofit organizations to create custom BlanketID tags for them. All of the contribution from these tags will go to that organization.
8.  A special offer for The Sensible Dog members from now until Dec. 25 to get a $5 discount.


“What if your pet was hurt and someone needed to contact you immediately?”
You may be sitting there thinking "yes but".
1.  My pet is already microchipped.
Well, so is Tucker.  However, I can’t rely on the person who finds a lost Tucker to have a scanner with them. Even around home, it is a 30 minute drive to a vet or shelter which may have the correct scanner to read his chip.  Assuming the kind person loaded him in their car, drove him that far, was able to reach the microchip data base, and find our home address, they would end up leaving a message on my answering machine or even on my cell phone.(Around here, there is often no cell coverage.) Precious minutes are being lost!
2.  My pet has his city license tag.
Well, so does Tucker.  His tag lists the town and a tag number.  The person who finds Tucker would have get the phone number for our town. Our town office is not open every day. (Yes, I know we live at the very edge of civilization.) Even if it is open, the information again would be my name.  The kind person would then have to find my home phone number and leave a message.
3.  My pet has a tattoo.
That’s fine for identifying your pet, but how much does that really help the kind person find you?
4.  My pet never goes outside alone.
Well, as a rule, Tucker doesn’t either.  But what if someone happened to leave the door open by mistake.  (Maybe the neighbor who is supposed to check in on your home and pets while you’re away.)  
5. I’ve already listened to your advice and gotten special tags with lots of current information.
I’m sure it’s obvious that Tucker has LOTS of  information on his tags. Well, tags can come off.  Collars can be taken off. Yes, that would include his blanket id.  One of the features of Blanket ID’s system is that you can create a virtual lost pet poster ahead of time with your pet’s picture on it. When, your pet is reported lost, emails go out right away to shelters and vets in the area with this picture on it. A copy is emailed to you so that you could send out more copies.  Everyone receiving this email would be seeing your pet’s picture, for identification even with no tags.   
 
Possible concerns:
1. Prices to receive the special introductory offer are in Canadian dollars.
2. The email broadcasts are effective only for North America. For international members, you would have to build a contact list yourself. (That's easy to do!)
3. The contact phone is only available during office hours.  You would most likely have to do the “Lost Pet’ or “Found Pet” reports via the internet. (Around here however, internet access is easier to find than cell phone service.)
4.  If a pet is “stolen”, the contact list would be different. (They are building a “Stolen Pet” application that should be available next year.)
5.  There is an annual membership renewal cost. (Cost of the tag includes the first year of membership, with the option to extend.)

In the unthinkable event that Tucker should become lost, we would want him to have the best chance of being identified and reunited with us as fast as possible. So, Tucker has multiple levels of protection. Taking every precaution for his safety isn’t “paranoid”, it is “responsible”.