Q: Last year I lost my chihuahua mix, Chicho, when a painter left the door open. He was tagged and microchipped but was never found. I know you like to recommend microchips, but could you let your readers know they are not foolproof?

A: You're right. I do strongly recommend microchips. But I agree: They're not foolproof. With a microchip your pets can be identified if they end up at a shelter or a veterinarian's office. But they're no substitute for tags.

A tag on your pet's collar is the universal symbol for, ``I have a home and I am loved.'' The lack of a tag often signals the opposite, though we all know that tags can be lost, especially when pets are on the lam.

Even tags and microchips are not enough, though. Neighborhood scouring, fliers and newspaper ads have always been an important addition to the lost pet routine too many of us know so well. Anything we can do to get the word out within hours of a disappearance improves our chances immensely.

That's why many pet owners are turning to new media resources to find lost pets. Facebook postings, neighborhood e-mail blitzes and services like FindToto.com are being tapped to help inform communities when a pet is lost.

In FindToto's case, a blanket of up to 10,000 telephone calls to your community helps spread the word -- for a fee. But even thousands of calls won't get your pet back if he ends up at the pound. That's why a multi-pronged approach -- including a microchip -- is best.

Dr. Patty Khuly has a veterinary practice in South Miami and blogs at www.dolittler.com. Send questions to khulyp@bellsouth.net, or Dr. Dolittler, Tropical Life, The Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, FL 33132.

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