Finding a lost pet

Tips & tricks for finding fido
Your pet is gone—no matter if he dug out, ran out the door, disappeared from the yard or was lost during a car accident, the feeling of loss and helplessness is the same.

What can you do before your pet is lost?
-- Microchip your pet and register the microchip so you can be contacted. Even
birds can be microchipped!
-- Update microchip info if you move or change phone numbers
-- Get a current license – have your dog wear it at all times
-- Get or update ID tags. If visiting away from home with your dog, ensure that
your cell phone is on the tag (so you can be contacted) or simply stop at
PetSmart and buy a new tag with the info where you are visiting. In a pinch,
I’ve written the new info on paper and taped it to the existing ID tag (lots of
tape so it won’t get wet).
-- Use a collar just for ID tags (rolled leather is good) If you’re walking your pet
and he slips his collar, the one with the ID will still be on him.
-- Take current pictures of your dog – front and side views
-- Cut off a small amount of your pet’s fur. Put in a zip lock baggie in the
freezer. Mark it with your pet’s name. This is a clean “scent article” should
you need to use a tracking dog.
-- Join your local breed or obedience club. You will have a ready-made group of
friends who can help you search for your dog.
-- When you travel in the car – ALWAYS have your pet in a crate (and secure it
with either a seat belt of other system to ensure the crate won’t move; or have
your dog in a safety harness (like the ruff rider system. This will keep your pet
from either flying out of the car into traffic or keep your pet from running off.

What can you do if your pet is lost?

Ground rule – don’t wait to see if your dog will come home. Start your search immediately!

There are several actions you can take (and the order depends on your particular situation):

1) Make up posters & flyers. These serve two purposes – first to notify somebody who might have your dog and not know where to return him and also, serve notice if someone took your dog and wants to keep him, that you are looking and somebody will find out they have him!

Remember, you will need a staple gun and clear packaging tape when you go out to put up posters. Have a current picture of your dog, include all contact information, where your dog was lost, and if he was microchipped/tattooed. Offer a reward. The posters can be a copy of the flyer pasted on a day-glo yellow poster board – this will attract more attention. Cover posters with clear plastic to resist weather.

If there is a community of non-English speaking residents, make up posters in this language as well, and make sure to find someone willing to answer phone calls in that language. Remember - use their contact info!

2) Put posters up all over – use a map of the area and mark all the places posters were placed. You don’t want to miss areas. Start where your dog was lost and move in a circle outward.

3) Take flyers and put them on windshields of cars, in newspaper boxes (not the mailbox, illegal!), hand them out to your mail man, cable TV person, FedEx, etc. Make sure to get anybody who drives around a lot. Don’t forget to call the dog walkers in the area (find them in the phone book). Dogs attract other dogs, and a dog walker is very likely to see your dog.

4) Start posting all over on the internet – most “lost dog” sites permit free lost dog ads, even if you don’t purchase their services. Look for “Craig’s List”, “Petfinder” and “dog detective” as a start for posting lost dog ads. Of course, be very careful of unethical people who might contact you.

5) Ground search—if you belong to a dog club – call them! Many dog clubs will mobilize to help you search. Call your friends in the area – get everyone out to search. Use your poster map. Searchers can put up posters as they call your dog. Dogs are attracted to areas with garbage, areas with shelter (under porches and decks), and to areas with a water source (golf courses).

Also, call your breeder (if you bought from a reputable breeder). They will want to know so they can help search. Having a group of people all helping out is incredibly valuable – you can assign people different areas to put up posters, have people post on internet sites for you, mobilize search parties, bring out females in season (if a male is lost). The more people involved, the more likely you are to find your dog.

6) Call every animal shelter, rescue and veterinarian in the area. You can get lists off the internet. Fax your flyer to all of them. Visit the shelters – the staffs are very busy and may not have time to look for your dog on the basis of a phone call. Take posters there too! If you bring cookies or a box of candy, they are more likely to remember you.

Also, call the microchip company and tell them to mark your dog as “lost/stolen”. If your dog is found and scanned, and the chip company called, they will tell the vet your dog is missing.

7) Sadly, call the state maintenance/road crews. If they find a dead animal with a tag they are supposed to report it, but it might not happen. Or your pet may have lost his collar. Call every day.

For those who are willing to do more:

8) Talk to your local real estate agent. Many agents subscribe to computer databases where they can pinpoint an area and do a mailing to all residential addresses within a designated number of miles. Ask them to print a mailing list for you (expect to pay for this service). Then on your home computer, make a postcard with your pet’s picture and relevant info and send to all addresses in at least a mile radius (more if you can afford the postage.

9) Contact the local news stations. Think of an angle that might interest them. Getting your dog on the TV news will notify a lot of people. It can be done.

10) Contact a tracking dog that tracks other pets. Often you can find these people through the internet. In order to use a tracking dog you need a good “scent article” – a brush that hasn’t been used on another pet, or the pet’s bed (if no other pet sleeps there.

11) If you are in a rural area you may wish to rent a helicopter to take you up to search. I know of one case where this was done (a large dog, thrown from a vehicle in a crash in a very rural area). This dog was found in two hours, lying against a barn a mile away. An expensive, but happy ending.

Remember, sadly not all lost pets are found. However, you will increase the probability of finding your pet with every additional step you take.