It only takes a second: an open door or unlatched gate, an outside stimulus and zoom! Your pet is missing.
An estimated 12 million companion animals disappear every year. Dogs can run off during a move, while traveling with their owners, or just wandering around the neighborhood. Indoor-only cats often escape through a window.  If you act quickly and thoroughly, however, the chances are good that you'll get your pet safely back home, where he belongs.
First, get help
Of course you want to begin searching as soon as you realize your pet is missing. But don't try to go it alone.
Knock on doors and talk to everyone in the neighborhood, including deliverymen and drivers who frequent the area. Ask others for assistance in searching. The more people who know your pet is missing, the more likely you are to find him.
Carry a leash, a flashlight and a few of your pet's favorite treats with you.
Be sure to check unusual areas, including storm drains, ditches and under decks. When cats are involved, look up: on rooftops, in gutters, etc.
Next, get the word out
If you don't locate your pet quickly, you want to spread the word with flyers, ads and internet listings.
- Flyers or posters should have your pet's recent picture and description with his name, breed, sex, age, weight, color and markings. Provide a phone number where you can be reached, but DO NOT put your name and address on your flier. If you offer a reward, don't state the amount. Use fluorescent paper and large letters for high visibility.
Ask local businesses such as gas stations, grocery stores and restaurants to post a copy, and give them to veterinarians, groomers, pet stores, animal shelters and other places where someone might bring a lost pet.
- Place ads in local newspapers. Some people only look in the paper to locate an animal's owner. Advertising in the paper is also proof that you are actively looking.
Visit the right places
Even if your pet was wearing tags when he was lost, you must get out and visit all the local shelters and government agencies in person to look for your pet. Simply phoning is not enough. Your pet may not yet be in the facilities' records, or your description may differ from the pet's current appearance (it doesn't take long for a lost pet to become dirty, matted and neglected-looking).
It may take several days for a pet to be picked up and brought to a shelter, so don't give up if your pet is not there on your first visit. Leave a copy of your flyer and try again in a few days.
It's wise to visit all the shelters within 20 miles of where your pet was lost. Pets can travel long distances and someone who finds your pet may take it to a shelter near his or her own hometown.
Take preventative measures
You can improve the odds of finding a lost pet by ensuring that your pet always "carries identification." While ID tags are useful, they can fall off. You may want to consider a permanent means of identifying your pet, like a tattoo or microchip.
Tattoos are usually applied inside the ear flap or on the inside of the thigh. Unlike human tattoos, "inking" a pet is relatively painless and takes less than three minutes. For a tattoo to be an effective means of identity, the numbers must be registered with a nationwide animal recovery system such as the National Dog Registry (NDR) or the American Kennel Club's Companion Animal Recovery (AKC-CAR) program.
Microchipping involves a veterinarian (or vet tech) injecting a tiny, biologically-safe microchip under the skin of the pet's shoulder blade. Shelter workers who find a lost animal will pass a scanner over the animal. If the pet has a microchip, the scanner displays the ID number. The recovery network is then contacted to obtain the pet owner's name and telephone number.
For more information on tattooing and microchipping, visit www.natldogregistry.com,
www.avidid.com, www.homeagainid.com, and www.identichip.com
No matter what, don't give up hope. There are amazing stories of animals that have disappeared for weeks on end, then have been reunited with their families. Just recently, a beagle named Norm, was found and reunited with his family - after missing for two months. He was found in Auburn, Alabama, more than 800 miles from his home in Solomon, Kansas! |
