Every Day Is Tag Day Date in the current year: April 4, 2026

Pet tags are small, flat tags with identifying information that are attached to pets’ collars or harnesses. They typically include the pet’s name and the owner’s name, phone number or numbers, and address. In some jurisdictions where a license is required to own a dog, dogs must wear a license tag in addition to an ID tag.

You may ask, “Why should my pet wear a tag if it is already microchipped?” Visible ID tags and microchipping serve different functions and complement one another. A microchip can only identify the owner of a lost pet if the person who found the animal takes it to a veterinarian, shelter, or animal control facility, where the chip can be scanned.

By contrast, a tag immediately informs anyone who finds a pet that it is lost and not a stray. It also gives them the opportunity to contact the owner directly, without having to take a trip to a vet or animal shelter. This makes the process of reuniting a lost pet with its owner much easier.

However, a tag can be lost or removed if the pet is stolen. In this case, the microchip remains a more durable form of identification. Using a pet tag and microchip together maximizes the probability of safely and quickly returning a lost or stolen pet, as long as your contact information is up to date on both the tag and in the microchip registry.

According to statistics, approximately 10 million pets are lost or stolen in the U.S. each year, and over six million of them end up in animal shelters. Dogs and cats in shelters without identification are far less likely to be reunited with their owners. Proper identification can literally save your pet’s life if your cat or dog winds up in a shelter without a no-kill policy.

The American Humane Society established Every Day Is Tag Day to remind pet owners about the importance of identification. Held on the first Saturday in April, this annual awareness campaign unites humane organizations, veterinarians, shelters, and animal control agencies across the nation in the common goal of encouraging pet owners to provide their pets with ID tags and/or microchips to ensure their safe return if they are lost or stolen.

Even indoor pets should have a microchip and a tag, since they can slip through an open door and get lost, even if you never let them outside. For cats, it is best to attach the tag to a safety collar so that the cat can escape if it accidentally gets caught on furniture, window blinds, or a fence.

As mentioned above, it is important to ensure that the contact information on your pet’s tag and in the microchip database is accurate and up to date. After having your pet microchipped, you must register the microchip with the appropriate database immediately. Update your contact information on your pet’s IDs as promptly as possible when you get a new phone number or move.