You scanned a pet's tag and got something other than the pet's profile. Don't worry — in most cases the tag simply isn't switched on, and there's still something you can do.
Jump to:
- "Almost There! 🎉 — Let's activate your pet's tag"
- "This tag is no longer active"
- A page-not-found error
- Nothing happens when I scan
"Almost There! 🎉 — Let's activate your pet's tag"
This tag has never been activated, so no pet profile is attached to it and there are no contact details to show. The page is written for the tag's owner, not for a finder.
Unfortunately this tag can't help you reach anyone. The menu icon at the top of that page has a Contact Us link if you'd like to tell us about it. [CONFIRM: what else a finder should be told to do when a tag has no profile attached — e.g. local shelter or vet guidance the team wants to give]
"This tag is no longer active"
The tag was activated at some point but has since been switched off by its owner, so the profile is no longer available.
That page still carries the Nearest emergency Vet button if the pet needs urgent care, and a Contact Us link under the menu icon at the top. [CONFIRM: what else a finder should be told to do when a tag has been deactivated, and the public contact channel for finders]
A page-not-found error
Two things cause this, and one of them is easy to fix:
- You scanned several times in quick succession. We accept up to 5 scans a minute from the same person or on the same tag. Wait a minute and scan once more — this is temporary.
- The code isn't recognised. Make sure the whole QR code is inside the camera frame, that it's clean and well lit, and that you're not accidentally scanning a different code on the collar.
Nothing happens when I scan
Use your phone's normal camera app rather than a QR reader inside another app, hold the phone about a hand's width away, and give it good light with no glare.
A genuine Ask A Vet tag opens an address beginning tag.askavet.com followed by a short code. If the link that appears goes somewhere else, that code isn't an Ask A Vet pet tag.
Tip: If part of the code is scratched, muddy or covered by the collar strap, gently clean it and try again — a small obscured area is enough to stop it being read.
If it still doesn't work
If you're holding an Ask A Vet tag and none of the above helps, get in touch and tell us the characters printed on the tag — we can look up what's happening with that code. [CONFIRM: public support contact channel and hours for people who have found a pet]
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