Accidents happen to even the most careful and responsible dog owners. Take precautions to ensure you've properly identified your dog in case he gets lost. And enroll him in the AKC-CAR database.

• Tag your dog!
  Make sure your dog wears a collar tag that includes owner name and contact information. If your dog already wears an ID tag, check it periodically to make sure it's still there and legible.

• Microchip your dog!
  A microchip is a rice-sized device encoded with a unique and unalterable identification number. The “chip” is implanted just under the skin in the scruff of the neck and is read by a scanner.

AKC-CAR provides 24-hour recovery services for microchipped and tattooed pets. They have successfully reunited more than 127,000 lost pets with their owners. They help recover all pets but have the most success recovering those that are permanently identified with a microchip.

For more information about microchipping your dog and enrolling with AKC-CAR, visit www.akccar.org.