01/08/2024
Steps to follow when you have a lost pet...
What to do when you have lost your pet:
1. Notify the local shelters and the non-emergency police department in case anyone calls to report your pet found.
2. File a report with Lost Dogs of WI. They have a page. A caseworker with lost dogs will contact you by phone and may call from a different area code. Even though we don’t service Illinois, if you have lost your dog in IL please file with Lost Dogs of IL.
3. Post your lost dog report in any local online groups in your area.
4. Send a message to Hurley’s Animal Recovery team if you would like our help.
5. Pass out your lost dog fliers to homes and businesses in the area.
6. If your dog ran away from home, put their bed or kennel outside. Hang something with your scent up high on a fence or clothesline so the scent travels. If your dog was lost from a different location, be sure to get owner permission prior to leaving anything scented at the location.
7. Promptly respond to any reported sightings and/or return messages. Document any sightings. Include date, time, and precise location.
8. Make a map of the area and the sightings.
9. If you have repeat sightings at a specific location, ask the landowners permission to set up a bait station and leave out food. It’s best to include something that has a strong scent such as bacon, fast food, or jerky.
10. Once it is confirmed the pet is coming to the bait station, move the bait into a trap at that same location.
What not to do when your pet is lost:
1. It is vital that you do not approach, chase, or call out to your pet. Once in survival mode, even the friendliest dogs do not act like their normal selves.
2. Do not trespass.
3. Do not go to the area and try to find your pet. This includes getting groups of people out to the location. Doing this can result in your pet being driven out further, causing them to cover a larger territory, or leading them near a major roadway or more dangerous area.
We understand losing a pet is extremely traumatic and frustrating for everyone involved. HART has a team with many years of knowledge, experience, and uses a process that has had many promising results. Because of this, there are steps that must be taken and conditions that must be met for us to step in. Most importantly, recovering a lost pet can take days, weeks, or months. If you know someone who has lost a pet, please refer them to us. Remember please message this page only as other messages to personal pages will not be addressed.
Thank you for all your help in spreading the word when we have a lost animal. That is the most crucial step in our process!!
