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TAKE
PICTURES IN CASE OF LOSS
A
vital aspect of animal-housekeeping is to take a set of clear pictures
of your animal for identification purposes in case of loss. As
your animal grows and gets older you should do this every couple
of years. Take close-up pictures of
the face - a full figure shot of the front, both sides, the top
and even from the back. This will help identify any distinguishing
features on the animal's coat etc.
Pictures
will also provide evidence of ownership if you need to recover your
lost animal from a rescue center or police station. You will also
need to provide other records of animal
ownership along with your own ID (passport / driving licence), and
at least one utility bill which matches your name and address with
your animal's details (i.e microchip / vets records). See more at
Microchip
News.
MOVING HOUSE
or NEW OWNER
As mentioned
in the "If
you lose or find an animal section",
if you have recently moved house and you have lost your animal check
your old house because cats and dogs will travel surprisingly long
distances to reach their old home if they feel inclined! (see Amazing
Tails).
And of course, DON'T FORGET ... Inform your vet / microchip registry
of the change of contact details, and it's vital that you provide
updated details to your microchip provider when you move home or
pass your animal on to a new owner.
ALL ANIMALS
ARE COVERED BY THE LaFAN NETWORK
LaFAN
is designed to help reunite companion animals with their owners.
But what kinds of animals does this include? The answer (obviously
besides cats and dogs) is anything
you care for as a "pet"; from rabbits, reptiles, birds
and rodents to goats, sheep, cows and horses, chickens etc that
have been cared for as companion animals and certainly not for consumption.
LaFAN doesn't list animal breeders, sellers, blood sports, pigeon
racing, or any organisation or service linked to animal based sport
known to cause animal suffering. NOTE: We do not knowingly list
groups affiliated with activists who conduct violent or threatening
acts against individuals.
THE
DARK SIDE
Unfortunately
many animals are also stolen and the problem is growing. This doesn't
just apply to house cats and dogs but also species that fetch high
prices on the black market. Even tortoises that may have been a
part of your family for decades are a growing target for thieves,
since they are no longer sold in pet shops. Other exotic species,
including fish and birds, are on the pet criminals list. But more
commonly, thoroughbreds are a prime target for thieves. Unfortunately,
there is even a darker side of cat and dog theft but we won't raise
your concerns with that scenario on this part of VeggieGlobal and
Looking-Glass. However you can find a wealth of useful information
about the care of companion animals at VeggieGlobal's "Sharing
The Planet With Animals".
FINALLY
If you see an
animal or bird which appears to be lost but are unable to secure
the animal, take a picture with your mobile phone and pass the photo
on to your local rescue place. Tell them the time and location where
you saw the animal. They can put up details on their lost and found
web pages. See more aout this on our Lost
Animal Photo-Tracking page.
Finally,
VeggieGlobal and Looking-Glass cannot stress enough the importance
of retaining your animals in safe areas of your property away from
the dangers of traffic and public access. Lots more on this subject
can be found
here.
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