Tracking a dog by tattoo?

[ZodiacT]

Hello All,
I'm curious to know if there is any way to find out where a DS came from based on the tattoo in its ear? We got our girl from a rescue and I've always wondered if there was any way to track where she came from by the tattoo she has. She also came already microchipped but we updated the information as soon as we adopted her so I doubt the chip could be traced back to where it came from originally.

If anyone has any information I appreciate it, I know it's a long-shot but figured I'd ask just in case We're just very curious to know where she came from.

[Dutchringgirl]

shoot.... i cant remember. Thalie is tattoo'd and I think its her birthday. I can barley read it anymore.

I hope someone chimes in, very interesting.

[Christie M]

There are a couple of tattoo registries online that you could research, but I don't know many breeders that actually register the tats. What is the tattoo? There are many people on here who know many breeders, so word of mouth may be your best bet.

Also, the microchip companies can track down at least what region or distributor their chips went through. We have done that many times. We have been able to track dogs to specific cities and even specific veterinarians.

Good luck.

[ZodiacT]

The tattoo is a little hard to read but it looks like 0909 or 0809 and it's in her right ear. She was born around November 2006 so I know it's not her birthday.

Thanks for the info about the microchip companies, when I get a chance I'll give them a call and see if I can find out anything

[Marjolein]

I think you should have a good chance with the chip, good luck, keep us posted! Now I'm curious too where your dog came from, haha!

[ZodiacT]

I contacted the microchip company and they said that the chip was first registered at US Customs Canine Drug Enforcement but it may have initially been implanted somewhere else. We always knew she came from some sort of K9 program but weren't told which one, so this was nice to know! The microchip company gave me the number for the Customs Canine Training Center and I spoke to someone there and asked if they could tell me what breeder she came from. The woman I spoke with said she will call me back within the next couple of days to let me know what she finds

[Dutchringgirl]

Ohhhhhhhh Interesting !!

[Christie M]

Awesome. I'm glad that you are getting closer to an answer.

[vneerland]

I have no clue how old your dog is, but the Department of Defense would put dogs, that wash out of their own program, up for adoption to Law Enforcement agencies. I doubt, though, that customs picks up the DoD rejects. Mostly local small departments do so. Customs has a pretty good program, really. I did not think they bred their own, unlike the DoD who try that at times. Maybe customs places their own rejects much like the DoD does? By adopting them out?

[ZodiacT]

I won't know for certain until I hear back but I suspect that when she washed out of the CBP program she may have gone to a local K9 program because it seems unlikely that they would have sent her from their training facility in Front Royal, VA all the way to the DC Humane Society where we adopted her from. There are plenty of agencies in the DC area that need dogs.

Also, I found out today that Customs does have a small breeding program and they do breed Dutch Shepherds. Their first litter of Dutch Shepherd pups was born around the time of my girl's estimated date of birth, and they were all given names beginning with the letter Z which my girl has (she was Zoey when we got her), so it seems likely that she was from that first litter. Hopefully I'll know for sure tomorrow! . Here is an article I found about the first litter, it's fun to think that one of the pups in the picture might have been my girl! http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... 072007.xml

[Sugars Mom]

Well thats pretty cool!

[Jbou]

As my knowldge , in USA they have no real rule concerning tatoo ( each breeder came tatoo whit is own tatoo meaning ) instead of microchip which are tracable.

In Canada , breeders have their own tatoo code serie and after came the range when the pup born and at the end the letter of the year of the birth.
For example: my own code is 9ZU
So a dog born in my kennel will have as tatoo 9ZU 1Y mean that this pup was the first one of the 2011 born in my kennel.
But canadian micropuces are International readable as uropean one.

I know that European country have some tatoo rules too but most of them allowed only microchip now.

Let me know what news you'll recieve for your dog as I like to learn more everyday

Josée

[ZodiacT]

I got a call back this morning from the Customs veterinarian and she confirmed that Zodiac was born at the U. S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Front Royal, VA as part of their breeding program and originally named Zelda. She was part of the only litter by mother, Rusa, who was purchased from International Canine Exchange in Rhode Island and has a passport from Mexico. The veterinarian said that our girl had been purchased by another agency but she wasn't sure which one and that she was sad to hear Zodiac had ended up in a rescue since they usually try to adopt the dogs out personally.

Thank you to the members here who mentioned using the chip to track down where she came from, I didn't know the chip companies were allowed to release that information. I'm so excited to learn all of this! One of the little puppies in this picture is our girl: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/new ... 072007.xml

[vneerland]

So now you know her exact DOB too! Well, welcome home, 'Zelda'. Happy end.

[Sugars Mom]

That is so nice you got some more background about your Zodiac. Cool! And even baby pics : )

So Zoey, Zelda and now Zodiac. Boy, this girl was meant to be named with a "Z"! What are the odds on that!!!

[Marjolein]

wow, nice! She looks like her mom doesn't she Very nice they helped you get all this info!

[ZodiacT]

Marjolein that was my first thought when I saw the picture

[leih merigian]

How neat that you were able to track all this down!

I love her name...do you call her Zodi, or Zodiac? (My first heart dog was Zodiac, but always called Zodi...)

[ZodiacT]

Around the house we usually call her Zodi but when we're training or competing (pretty much any time I want her to pay attention) we call her Zodiac That's really neat that you also had a dog with the same name! I love the name Zodiac and since she was going by Zoey when we adopted her it seemed like Zodiac would be an easy name for her to switch to.

[kchristy]

This is such an awesome story! So glad that you were able to find out the information you were looking for