This is one of the most interesting emails that I have gotten over the years. I recall a midnight phone call from the Phillipines offering to sell me old licenses and a soldier in Iraq who found a dog license while he was on duty. Most people who find older tags want to find the original owner, which is usually impossible or a very unrealistic task indeed .

 I have been contacted numerous times to help locate the family of pre 1900 dog licenses that were dug by metal detecting enthusiasts. I simply have no way to trace a century of  past canine records that are most likely destroyed, unless paper AKC / tax certificates, dog collar name plates or addresses are available as well as the license tag.

Dear Diane Bandy, President DLTC,

My name is ____ and I am an archaeologist/anthropologist who works in Guatemala with contemporary Maya medicine men/women.  The medicine people collect small found objects for use in their ceremonies - and most of these objects are ancient, thus my interest as an archaeologist.  Occasionally they will collect more recent items especially if they are unique.  I am contacting you about one of these recent items: a 1958 rabies tag that one medicine man has in his possession and is using as a sacred object.  (I'll attach a photo to this email.) 

The tag is cross-shaped with the following: "Rabies Vaccinated 2860 cyanamid" (in an oval) followed by the 1958.  At first I though the dog may have been brought down to Guatemala from someone living in the States - as the tag is in English - but after browsing the internet it seems that most US vaccination tags also contain a place name, which this tag does not have. 

The Maya still do not vaccinate their dogs against rabies so I'm pretty certain that this dog belonged to a foreigner (probably someone from the States) who lived in Guatemala long enough to bring his family, which included a dog either brought down from here or adopted and vaccinated in-country. 

I'm interested in finding out as much info as I can about who may have owned the dog, why they were in Guatemala, etc.  but am not sure where to start the research.   Thanks!  -____


Department of Anthropology
The ___University

In this case of the 1958 rabies tag, there is no way to atttibute it to an owner. It is a vaccine manufacturing company (Cyanamid) versus a Veterinary clinic or combined clinic/state issued tag that would have issued a serial number on it.

Furthermore, most veterinary records are deleted after 20 years or less.

Certain dog license tag collectors will keep rabies tags in their collections, but there is nobody that I have met in 11 years of collecting that specializes in rabies tags alone. There is far more interest in License/Tax tags.

This particular tag could have been used as a form of proof of rabies vaccination and even though American companies would be more numerous compared to Central American companies, they certainly could have sent vaccines along with tags to this region of Central America for use on domestic animals. Mexico borders Central America and they use American Vaccine companies to innoculate pets against rabies in Mexico. I am not familiar with Central American licenses or rabies tags.

A Guatemalan Vet could have had these metal tags left over from one year and just "recycled" them or gave them away as trinkets. A child could have found some of them and used them as toys or game pieces... One other explanation is that the tag was kept on the original dog owners keychain as a sentimental keepsake and it became lost or perhaps the split O-Ring broke off. This owner could have been a visiting American or local resident.

This story has lots of appeal even though we will never be able to realistically track the original owner. We can only make assumptions at this point as to why this tag was recovered and spared for almost half of a century.

*Few dogs and cats live their entire natural lives in the home of their original owner. Many never will find homes. Many die from traffic accidents or disease. Overpopulation is worldwide and animals produce large litters.

Pets who are taken in by a caring guardian that will go the distance in committing to his/her welfare, providing lifelong Veterinary care, licensing and protecting their lives is indeed rare in America, much less in developing countries. American shelters are overwhelmed with unwanted cats and dogs. In some developing countries, animals are not provided for and shelters set aside for their needs do not exist.

The HSUS estimates less than 25% if domestic animals live their entire lives in their original homes (many enter the shelter system, go to other relatives, sold, given away or are abandoned) Considering this fact alone, 'if' this tag was issued in the first place, it is safe to assume that the dog (or cat) was not kept for very long. Lets hope that this tag indicates a much different ending........