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In our family, our dog Kobe is not only our best friend. He's virtually a member of the family. He gets his own bed, his own meals and his own special place around the house, which used to be a broom closet until he made it his own personal hangout. Things just wouldn't be the same without Kobe around.

We used to have Kobe's mother around as well, but she slipped out of the house one day and never came back. This made me realize that even families with the deepest love and caring for their dogs often overlook an important item that can help prevent them from ever getting lost - the dog identification tag.

A dog tag is a small flat tag worn by the dog on their collars or harnesses which contain important identifying information, including the dog owner's telephone number and address. The dog tag may also mention the dog's dog license number and contact information for the licensing organization; an identifying number for the dog with a phone number for a lost-pet registry; information about the dog's critical medical issues or rabies vaccinations; a message announcing a reward that will be paid upon the return of the lost dog and others.

There is some debate about whether or not to put the dog's name on his dog tag. Some rescue organizations recommend not putting the dog's name on his tag because, in an ownership dispute over a stray dog, the secondary "owner" could use the dog's name to demonstrate that the dog recognizes the name and therefore has an association with that owner. On the other hand, others believe that a lost dog might feel more comfortable if strangers call it by its own name and therefore recommend that the dog tag include the name. It is obviously a personal choice.

The best place to get a dog tag is your local pet shop or pet supply store. Generally, the bigger the pet store, the more choices of dog tags it has to offer, ranging from the simple to the extravagant. Some stores will even offer to engrave your personal information on your dog tag for free.

In the final analysis, it doesn't matter what kind of dog tag you choose. What matters is that, by buying that dog tag, you may have made the safest investment you can to safeguard against ever losing your dog.