Contra Costa Animal Services has formed a partnership with PetHub, a pet identification tag company, to offer pet owners free digital identification tags.

The county program began July 1 and is available to any Contra Costa resident registering or renewing a pet license. The pet owner will receive a PetHub ID tag with a QR code that links to a profile they can update with emergency contact information.

The aim is to get lost animals home more quickly and reduce the number of animals in shelters.

“We are incredibly excited to bring these new, durable, modern and effective pet ID tags into our community,” said Steve Burdo, an animal services spokesperson.

Pet owners will also be able to upgrade their tags to include GPS notifications, alerts when their pet is found and the ability to broadcast their pet’s profile to local shelters and businesses if it goes missing.

More information is available online.