CLEVELAND, July 27, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The American Humane Association estimates more than 10 million dogs and cats are lost or stolen in the U.S. each year. And only one in ten make it back to their owner. In honor of July being National Lost Pet Prevention Month, Embrace Pet Insurance surveyed 3,000 pet parents about how they ID their pets.
The survey results found that more than 57% of pet parents ID their pets with both an ID tag and microchip, 20% ID their pets with just a microchip, 10% ID their pets with name ID tag, 4% use a GPS tracking collar, and 3% don't ID their pets at all. Ten percent of pet parents have also had their pet lost or stolen at some point in their pet's life.
Minimizing the number of pets lost each year starts with prevention. There are steps that pet parents can take ahead of time to prepare themselves should their pet ever get lost. Pet parents can download a lost pet flyer template in advance and fill it out so that it's readily available if they should ever need it. Most importantly though, pet parents should ID their pet by getting them a microchip, using tags on their collar, registering them, and keeping all their information up to date. Microchipping can be reimbursed under Embrace's Wellness Rewards.
If a pet does go missing, the first few hours can be chaotic, but they are also the most crucial. It's best for pet parents to have a plan in place so they can jump into action to find their furry family member. Pet parents should follow these five steps to help find their beloved pets.
1. Utilize social media to help find their pet. Post a photo and description of the pet right away with the pet's last known location, contact information, and behavior/personality traits. Remember to make the post public and ask friends to share far and wide to help bring the pet home.
2. Post on lost pet boards/apps. There are a variety of missing pet apps out there such as PiP and Finding Rover, which use facial recognition software to help identify lost pets. Find one that works best, has good coverage, and is easy to use in order to create a lost pet alert on the fly.
3. Put up printed flyers. Don't discount the effectiveness of old-school paper flyers posted or handed out at dog parks, shelters, intersections, vet offices, etc. Ask friends and family to help cover as much territory as possible, spreading out in concentric circles from the last known sighting of the pet.
4. Check with animal control or local shelters. It's possible that someone may have picked up the pet and turned them in to the local shelter or animal control department. It's always best to call and find out.
5. Don't hesitate to ask for help. It can be difficult to carry out a successful search without the help of friends and family; the more who participate in the search, the more likely the pet will be found.
For additional information around what to do to prevent a pet from going missing, check out this Embrace Pet Insurance blog post.
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About Embrace Pet Insurance
Embrace Pet Insurance is a top-rated pet health insurance provider for dogs and cats in the United States. Embrace offers one simple yet comprehensive accident and illness insurance plan that is underwritten by American Modern Insurance Group, Inc. In addition to insurance, Embrace offers Wellness Rewards, an optional preventative care product that is unique to the industry. Wellness Rewards reimburses for routine veterinary visits, grooming, vaccinations, training, and much more with no itemized limitations. Embrace is a proud member of the North American Pet Health Insurance Association (NAPHIA) and continues to innovate and improve the pet insurance experience for pet parents across the country. For more information about Embrace Pet Insurance, visit http://www.embracepetinsurance.com or call (800) 511-9172
SOURCE Embrace Pet Insurance Agency, LLC
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