A Sad Story (Reader Beware)

As I walked into work today, a co-worker met me with tears in her eyes. This is unusual as she is a very stoic person, not given to drama or excess emotion. She barely got out the words that her daughter's (an adult in her 20's) dog died yesterday. It turns out that the 3-month-old puppy had tags on its collar. The tags got caught in the crate and it hanged itself. When the owner came home at lunchtime to let the puppy out, she found it dead in the crate.

This is truly a heart-breaking story, but one I felt I needed to share. I have two "tips" regarding collars and tags. I've used Boomerang tags with much success. They fit flat onto the collar and have two benefits. First, they do not jangle; peace reigns in the house. Secondly, they are made of stainless steel so they don't rust or lose the lettering. I take all the dogs' tags--rabies, license, ID tag, etc.--and put them on the ring of their leash. That way when we are out and about on a walk, they have their credentials.

Please take this story to heart and take any dangling tags off your dog's collar, or remove the collar when you crate your dog. Let's keep our dogs safe.