I was quite disturbed to read about the plight of the humane society and the animals its members care for and about. Mrs. LaBorde's concern about identifying lost animals without government-issued tags is a valid one and I thought she might be interested in what the humane society in this county does to address the issue.
The county government doles out rabies tags and official licenses after receiving documentation verifying current rabies immunization from an animal's veterinarian, but the humane society itself maintains a tag/coding system that's offered free to every county resident and is a part of the adoption process.
Each animal gets a small metal collar tag bearing its identification number plus the humane society's phone number and instructions to call if the animal appears to be lost.
In order to get the tag, the owner fills out a form giving contact information so the humane society staff knows where the animal belongs. Of course, the system works only if pet owners take the time to go to the humane society, and there's obviously some expense involved in getting the stamped tags, but it could be an alternative to government participation that might be begun in schools and veterinarians' offices.
Good luck, Claudia.
Willi Miller