Not just for sentimental reasons, although it’s always nice to have them for that as well.
I’m on several lost and found pet pages on social media and I see this a lot. Someone’s pet goes missing and they post their plea to keep an eye out for them, but the only photo they have is from when the animal was a baby or of the animal in the background of another photo, facing away from the camera. Or they don’t have one at all and will post a stock photo that looks sort of similar. A friend of mine, who loves her animals very much, just posted that her very beautiful and distinctive-looking cat has gone missing and the photo she used was of her tiny, dark, and far away on a cat tree. You can’t even see what color she is. If she turned up at my doorstep, no way in a million years would I think “I think I saw her on the lost and found site.”
Nobody likes to think that it’s possible their pet can go missing in the first place. But even if you’re perfect and your pet is perfect, accidents happen.
So, do it today. A few clear close-ups and body shots. Hold a treat or toy just behind the camera to get them to look at you. Take pictures every few months, especially if your pet is a growing baby or a senior who might be going gray. If you have a dog who gets haircuts, take pictures of them before and after grooming. Take pictures that show those distinctive features even if they’re not THAT distinctive. Something like white toes on one paw isn’t going to make your dog Instagram famous, but if someone finds that dog and isn’t sure it’s the same one in the pictures, that can help.
It’s free to do. And if you never need it, the worst that happens is that you’ve got a nice picture of your pet. So why not?
And hey, if you want, post them here. I’ll never turn down the opportunity to admire people’s animals.
P.S. Also, consider this a reminder to make sure they’ve got microchips and ID tags and that the information on both is up-to-date.
