If you have a dog, you probably have a dog collar and ID tag.
However, have you taken into account its drawback?
After a recent experience of a fur parent, you may want to reconsider what you put on your pet’s collar.
Michelle Kimball, a woman from North Carolina was out walking her German Shepherd.
Then she came across a man. The gent appeared to be friendly, and he stopped to pet the lady’s dog, named Nilla.
Later in the day, Michelle received a text message from a stranger simply trying to entertain her.
“I was thinking in my head, I said, ‘I don’t know anybody by that name. How did you get my phone number?’ Michelle told Inside Edition.
And the guy said,
“Oh, I got it off of your dog’s collar.”
Kimball’s phone number was on the dog collar.
He got her contact detail from a picture he took of her dog earlier.
“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 pointed out.
What Kimball’s dilemma, happened to Shey Greyson too.
She was out walking her dog when a random stranger approached her. The man asked to take a photo of the adorable Maltese.
“I noticed that he was actually holding up her dog collar and the dog tag.
And then I realized that he was actually taking a picture of my address, which was on the dog tag, not of my dog,” Greyson shared to Inside Edition.
When she discovered what the man was doing, she pursued him and forced him to delete the photos.
Greyson, an actress, and screenwriter based in London explained that,
“My home could be broken into or whenever I took my dog out one day, he could be out there eihter to kidnap my dog or to do something to me. There were so many different things that could happen with him having my address.”
Every responsible dog owner attaches a label to their pet’s collar.
But it is critical to be cautious about the information you include on the label.
Many people take their pets to the dog park for a fun time and often connect with others. However, safety experts warn us to be careful there too.
Although many strangers try and pet our dogs out of friendliness – there are also ones who could be attempting to steal our name, phone number, and address right off the dog tag.
Safety Expert Barb Jordan mentioned that,
“If somebody’s coming up to me and they want to see my dog, I don’t like the feeling I get, I’m going to say my dog is not friendly. I have an aggressive dog. Just kind of keep your distance.”
She believes that your dog’s tag should only include your phone number and never your address.
“We never think that people are going to be using our dogs to get close to us. But predators they, they have no limits. They have no boundaries,” Jordan added.
According to PetFinder, “collars—with identification–are your pets’ fastest ticket back to you should they become lost.”
Experts also recommend implanting a microchip in your pet.
“The microchip is great back-up if a collar should become lost.”
Also note on the tag that your dog has a chip, as well as instructions to take the dog to the nearest vet to access your information.
Watch the video below of their experiences!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family!
