Keeping your pet safe and found
Plain-English guides for UK pet owners, from what the law says about dog tags and cat microchips to what to do when a pet goes missing, or when you find one. Looking for a tag? See our QR code dog tags and QR code cat tags.
Just got your PetTag?How to set it up, keep your number private and use lost mode.Set it up →Lost and found(11)
- Lost dog? What to do if your dog goes missing (UK)
- Found a lost dog or cat? What to do in the UK
- Cat not come home? Search within 50 m first (UK 2026)
- Lost pet and microchip scams: how to spot them (UK)
- Where can I get a pet scanned for a microchip? (UK)
- How to get your dog back from the dog warden (UK)
- How far do cats roam? What the research says
- How to prove a lost pet is yours (UK)
- Where can you put up lost pet posters? (UK law)
- Do cats usually come back? Most do: the odds (2026)
- How to scan the QR code on a pet's tag (iPhone and Android)
The law and microchips(18)
- UK dog laws: what every owner needs to know (2026)
- UK cat laws 2026: what every cat owner needs to know
- Dog collar law UK: do dogs have to wear a collar and tag?
- Do cats have to be microchipped? UK cat microchipping law (2026)
- Do dogs have to be microchipped? UK dog microchipping law (2026)
- Update microchip details: free to £15 a year (UK 2026)
- Transfer a pet microchip: free to £39 by database (UK)
- Pet Abduction Act 2024: the pet theft law explained (UK)
- Do you need a dog licence in the UK? 2026 rules by country
- Microchip not scanning or can't be found? What to do (UK)
- Taking your dog or cat abroad: UK rules explained
- How many stray dogs in the UK? Lost pet statistics 2026
- Hit a dog or cat while driving? What to do (UK)
- Every approved UK pet microchip database
- Your dog got out: what happens and what it costs (UK)
- Can your phone scan a pet microchip? What actually works
- Personalised dog collars: do they meet UK law?
- How much does it cost to microchip a cat or dog? (UK 2026)
Keeping pets safe(27)
- Fireworks and pets: how to keep dogs and cats calm (2026 UK)
- Dog theft in the UK: how to protect your dog
- New puppy checklist: buying, ID, paperwork and the law (UK)
- Moving house with a dog or cat: keeping them safe (UK)
- Christmas and pets 2026: foods and hazards to keep away (UK)
- New kitten checklist: buying, what you need and the law (UK)
- Should my cat wear a collar? Safety advice (UK)
- Halloween and pets 2026: dog and cat safety tips (UK)
- Walking your dog in the dark: staying safe and seen
- Going on holiday? Pet sitter and kennel checklist (UK)
- When can kittens go outside? And new cats (UK)
- Bringing home a rescue dog: the first weeks (UK)
- Taking your dog on holiday in the UK: a checklist
- Walking your dog in the countryside: the rules (UK)
- How to stop your dog escaping or running away
- Should my dog wear a collar all the time?
- Bringing home a rescue cat: the first two weeks
- Walking your dog in hot weather: the UK rules of thumb
- How tight should a dog collar be? Too tight vs too loose
- Should a cat's collar have a bell?
- Medical alert tags for dogs and cats: what to put on them
- Pet emergency plan: who looks after your pet if you can't?
- How to put a tag on a collar (and keep it on)
- Easter and pets: chocolate, hot cross buns and bulbs (UK)
- Buying a dog or puppy? How to check it isn't stolen (UK)
- How to get a puppy used to a collar and tag
- Dog harness or collar? What's best, and what UK law says
Free tools(9)
How we write our guides
We're PetTag, a small UK company that makes QR pet ID tags. Our guides answer the questions UK pet owners ask most, in plain English.
- Every fact comes from an official or expert source, such as GOV.UK, legislation.gov.uk, nidirect, PDSA, Cats Protection, Dogs Trust and International Cat Care, or from published research. Each guide lists its sources.
- We read the source itself, not a summary of it, and if we can't trace a claim to a source, we take it out.
- Each guide shows when it was last updated, and we update guides when the law or the advice changes.
- Where our own tags come up, we say so, and we're clear about what a QR tag can't do as well as what it can.
- Our guides are general information, not legal or veterinary advice. For your own pet's health, talk to your vet.
Spotted something wrong or out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.