What to do and who to notify if your pet is missing:
• If your dog has decided to go on an off-leash adventure, the sooner you start looking, the sooner you’ll find him. The longer your dog has to go free, the larger the perimeter you’re going to have to search will be. So as soon as you ascertain that the dog truly is gone (not sleeping behind the couch or hiding in the basement), it’s time to s
et the wheels in motion.
• Remember that the world settles down at night and the surroundings become quiet your pet will hear your voice clearer if you call him. It might help.
• Man the phones. If you’ve been smart enough to put your phone number on your pet’s collar you’ll hopefully be getting a call from a neighbor or passerby. If the collar has your cell phone number, make sure you take the phone with you on your search. If the collar has a landline, make sure someone is home to answer the phone in case someone calls. Also, if you put the address on the collar, make sure someone’s home in case your pet gets dropped off by someone or comes home on his own. The person in charge of waiting at home can also use the opportunity to call local animal shelters, veterinarians.
• Take a picture. The best time-saver and memory-jogger on your search is a recent picture of your pet. Then you can show potential witnesses the photo and ask if they’ve seen that pet. It’s a lot faster than having to go through a confusing “We think he’s a poodle and a mix of something else and his fur’s different colors but mostly brown…” If you don’t have a picture of your pet, try and print out a picture of the breed he most resembles.
• Bring some bait. Is there a sound your dog/cat loves to hear? Like the shaking of the treat box or a favorite squeak toy? If so, bring that item on the search and make a little noise. That, along with the tone of your voice, can let your pet know you’re not angry and not cause them to hide from you. Hopefully, he’ll come running when he hears his favorite sound.
• Rally the troops. Bring business cards or a pad of paper where you can write your phone number with you. Give your phone number to your neighbors or anyone you run into on the search, and ask them to call you if they see any sign of your pet. There are also sites ours where you can post your pet’s disappearance to get your word out to the concerned citizens in your area. Your local shelter or veterinarian may also be able to recommend good Internet resources for your area. Phase 2: The next day
You looked everywhere for your pet, canvassed the neighborhood, and finally had to give up for the night. Hope is not lost though. Dogs and cats have excellent homing instincts and may be meandering back toward your area after their big adventure. If they have been stolen, there’s still a good chance that someone has witnessed something that can help locate your pet. What can you do in the meantime?
• Create a poster. Include a recent picture of your pet (color, if feasible), your phone number, and a short description of where and when the pet was last seen. Include the pet’s name and offer a reward, but don’t specify an amount. If the reward is too low, people might not bother and if it’s too high, they might think the pet is valuable and try to sell it. Also, duplicate the information in newspaper lost-and-found ads.
• Where to post. Try and hit all the public bulletin boards you can think of—community centers, dog parks, grocery stores, and phone poles in your neighborhood. (Be conscious of posting laws in your area. It’ll be a waste of your time if the poster is removed.) Ask local merchants to display your ad in their display window or next to their cash register. Give stacks of flyers to friends and family and have them go door to door. Give the flyers to postal carriers, delivery people, and anyone else you know who gets around the neighborhood in their daily routines.
• Check lost and found sites. Check online and check the local newspaper to see if anyone has posted a notice that they have found a pet that matches yours. Your messages may have crossed paths.
• Contact the SPCA. Also go there physically. The staff doesn't always know what types of animals they have. Speaking from experience! If you have a pet up for adoption:
Post pictures and your telephone number. A reason you are putting the pet up for adoption will motivate the readers. We depend on our dogs for love and companionship, and sometimes, even protection. But let’s never forget that protection is a two-way street. It’s a big world out there and dogs/cats love to explore—and without the benefit of a cell phone, or GPS. Even the dogs/cats who are homebodies are at risk. Dogs/Cats—especially purebreds—may be snatched from their own yard by a dog/catnapper looking to make a quick buck. Here’s a checklist to make sure your pet doesn’t end up with his picture stapled to a telephone pole.
• The eyes have it
The easiest and surest way to keep your dog safe is to be able to see where he is at all times. And notice we say “see” and not “know.” You may think you know your dog is playing in your fenced-in backyard, but if you don’t have an eye on him, he could have run out of a gate that was left open, dug a hole under the fence to freedom, or be stolen by a criminal. Likewise, if you’re walking your dog, don’t tie her up to the parking meter outside your favorite store or coffee shop while you run errands. Your dog could slip her collar, chew through her leash, or be stolen. Better to have the caffeine headache now than the headache and heartache of a missing pet later.
• Get a new leash on life
Whenever possible, keep your dog person a good leash when out in the world. Even if you’re just letting your dog follow at your heels as you go to the mailbox, monkey, a stray squirrel or rabbit in the corner of your dog’s eye could cause him to bolt into traffic or down the street, and you are probably not going to catch him. It could easily result in your dog getting lost, the further he runs, or worse, injured or killed in traffic. Also, while taking your dog into off-leash parks is great for fun and exercise, make sure you choose a park that is enclosed. Living in the midlands, we have some beautiful off-leash hiking trails, but “beautiful” is not usually the word that comes to an owner’s mind when he watches his pet race off the trail, disappearing into the brush or down the side into woods that are definitely not landscaped for humans. Your dog could easily become lost in nature or have an unfortunate encounter with wildlife or snares. If you don’t feel one-hundred-percent confident that your dog will come when called, we recommend a leash when out in the wild.
• A dog(pet) by a different collar
A good collar that fits well is your best line of defense for two reasons: it keeps your dog from slipping out of it and getting loose; and it provides an easy way to ID your pet and makes your contact information available so you can get her back. It seems like fancy pet boutiques are popping up on every block so finding a good collar should be easy. But be mindful that the collar needs to be functional before fashionable. Your pet collar can literally save its life and it’s far more important that it stay securely on your pet and provide your contact info than alert the world in rhinestones that your pet has “Bieber fever.” Additionally, regularly check the fit of the pet collar as it is likely to stretch out over time or crack or fray depending on the material it’s made of, making it less secure. It may need to be tightened or replaced.
• Microchipping—not just for computers
Microchipping involves implanting a tiny rice-grain-sized chip under your pet’s skin. It’s painless and can help your pet be identified with a scanner. Even if your pet loses his collar (or in the case of petnapping, has it removed), the microchip allows your pet to be positively identified as yours. This shouldn’t be regarded as a substitute for the collar and ID however. The microchip is a worst-case scenario for identifying your pet. It’s a lot easier for Good Samaritans to call the phone number that’s right there on the pet collar than to find a shelter or vet that can scan the microchip (if the Good Samaritan even thinks to do that). However, the microchip gives you a fighting chance your pet might be identified without a collar and provides excellent legal recourse should a dispute arise over who owns the lost pet. Even if you take every precaution though, there’s still a chance that your pet may get lost or stolen. This page is moderated. If you would like to post on the wall please leave you contact details. preferably telephone numbers. The link to your profile is often lost when everyone shares your post. So it would be beneficial leaving a phone number attached to the picture. Pictures catch peoples attention faster than a paragraph of information. You are welcome to post as many pictures of your lost pet on this page. Please remember to share and network. This will help the page be effective. This page is not owned by a organisation but setup as a community page and for the purpose of giving the community a platform to help each other. Not only relying on organisation to do everything. Sales of pets are not allowed here. If you want to donate goods you may post it here. Please help animals, they can't help themselves, if everyone thinks it's someone else's problem then no one will do anything. Pets can not take care of themselves. People might want to collect a Found pet claiming it's theirs - please make sure it is in fact their pet. They might NOT be the owner.They might have ulterior motives. Use your discretion.
