blanketID has released their new ID tag summer designs — pink and green with flower and leaf motifs. I love that if you look closely at the camouflage one you will see that it’s actually butterflies!

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I have to admit, I have not invested in any tracking devices for my dog. I do have those $8 collar tags on each dog with their name a phone number in case of emergency. However, I’ve often wondered if I should make the extra investment in a special ID tag.

blanketID is a special 15mm x 25mm tag that is individual to your pet. You purchase a tag, then go on to the blanketID website to add details and photos of your pets under your unique blanketID tag number. It’s waterproof, scratch-proof, and lightweight fitting right on your dog’s collar like a name tag. Plus, the designs sure beat those ugly metal tags from the machines.

If your pet gets lost, simply report your pet missing and blanketID.com automatically sends a broadcast email to local SPCA, animal hospitals, shelters, other local blanketID members. Everyone will be able to access a full description and photos of your pet. If you find a pet with a blanketID tag you can log on and enter its blanketID tag number to find its owner.

Have you ever considered a pet ID service such as this or do you use the standard tags you get from the “big box” pet store?

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Messenger Dog is a communication system that gets hooked up to a dog for use during disasters when normal ways of communication are unavailable. It can record voices or video messages as well so that families can identify and send information to other family members, and even store geographical information. The dogs can work in teams and spread out from a central location, returning to that base camp with data that human volunteers can download and view.

Gizmodo’s post about this concept had me cracking up.

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Yesterday, I went to the gym then came home to this:

That used to be a roach trap. Mr. Beans man decided to chew it to bits. I guess he smelled the yummy stuff in the center. Anyway, I immediately called the vet who directed me to the Pet Poison Helpline. I’m so glad we called. Turns out, Beans will be OK — there isn’t anything in those traps that causes harm to dogs. I think the situation would have been different had he actually eaten the entire thing rather than just chewed on it.

For the record, we’re not bad dog owners. We don’t leave the traps out where the dogs can get to them. It just so happens that the maintenance guy came to fix our ice maker and moved the refrigerator around a bit, leaving one of the traps in a place where Beans (obviously) could get to it.

Anyway, Pet Poison Helpline was super helpful. I asked them to send me more information about them and what they do. Under the direction of Dr. Justine Lee, Pet Poison Helpline is a 24/7 animal poison control based out of Minneapolis, and they pride themselves on being one of the most cost-effective animal poison controls out there today (a $35/incident case vs. ASPCA’s $70/case). Unfortunately, because animal poison controls aren’t state or federally funded, they require a small per incident fee to run a 24/7 service. Hey, that’s a small price to pay for my dog’s safety. They also have a free newsletter, Facebook page, and Twitter account!

They even sent me over a copy of their Spring Toxins PDF — click here to download it.

I run outside quite a bit, and sometimes at night. I often wondered what I would do if I ran with one of my pups. I had no idea they made reflective dog vests! This one is called the “Rufflective” dog vest — how cute! The reviews on the site are all good too.