What to engrave on your dog's ID tag (India)

Updated 2026-10-07

A tag has room for about 4 short lines. Here's what earns a place, in order.

1. A phone number that will be answered

The most important line. Use the number most likely to be picked up by someone at home during the day. Write it the way an Indian caller will dial it: 98XXX XXXXX for local callers. If you travel often, add a second number on the QR page rather than squeezing it on the metal.

2. Your pet's name

A finder who calls a dog by name gets it to come closer. Some people leave the name off over theft worries; in practice, a name helps far more pets get home than it puts at risk.

3. One instruction word

"CALL ME" or "I'M LOST" tells a hesitant stranger what to do. If your pet has a condition, "NEEDS MEDS" makes people act faster.

4. Your area, not your address

"Indiranagar" or "Bandra West" is enough for a finder to know they're close. Leave your full flat address off the tag.

What to leave off

• Full home address
• Microchip numbers (a vet scanner reads the chip anyway)
• Long sentences that shrink the font until nobody can read it

Numbers go stale. Plan for that.

Indians change SIMs, move cities and hand phones to family. A tag engraved with one number is wrong the day that number changes. A QR on the back, linked to a page you can edit, keeps the tag useful: update the page, keep the tag.

Material and size

Stainless steel holds deep engraving and doesn't rust in monsoon humidity. Around 25 to 32 mm suits most dogs; smaller dogs and cats do better near 25 mm. Avoid painted or printed tags; the print rubs off within months.