Helping a Lost Pet Home

Most pet owners are under the assumption that their beloved dog or cat can find its way home. Although there are some dogs and cats that have good homing instincts and can find their way, the majority of our pets cannot. Movies like Homeward Bound help perpetuate this myth, but the fact is most pets do not find their way home without some type of human intervention.

Engraved tags and microchips are great aids in finding a lost pet. However if the pet is not found they are of little value. If you are using an engraved tag, you may want to include your vet's phone number on it in addition to yours. In case, you are not by your landline or cell phone. It would also be an aid if your pet needs medications. Also, try to have a current photo of your pet for use on posters.

As soon as your pet goes missing, call the local police department, animal shelters within a 60 mile radius, and vets. Put an ad in the local papers, and make up posters to go on phone poles, pet and grocery store bulletin boards. If possible, have two contact numbers on the posters. Canvas the neighborhood and ask joggers, cyclists, etc. if they have seen a pet similar to yours.

Do not give up. One September our 12 year old was blind, and deaf pug Sammy took off for parts unknown. It was 30 degrees during the night in the NH woods. My hope was gone after three days. However, my sister told me not to give up unless I found his body. We went out everyday looking for him, but we never found him. After nine days, my husband and I needed to attend a family function out of town. Tears filled our eyes as we took one last drive down the road Sammy was last seen. The next day we received a phone call saying Sammy was found. He showed up at a house we had stopped by to ask if they saw our dog. It was a wonderful homecoming. However, I doubt if he would have come home without human intervention.

After a quick trip to our vet, Sammy received a clean bill of health. The vet was surprised we found our dog after nine days and stated that many people give up after three or four days. People assume their animals met some sort of demise or taken in by someone.

Just recently, I found a stray cat, meandering in the middle of a busy road. The cat was walking down white line. Fearing a car would hit her, I picked up the cat to move her out of the way. She was just skin and bones and was most likely lost. I put her in my car and took her home. First thing in the morning, I called the animal shelters, the police, vets, and put an ad in the paper. On a visit to my vet, I learned she was at least 10 years old, and most likely had been lost for a long time. She was a sweet cat and it was evident that she was someone's pet and not a feral cat. He said that who ever owned the cat probably had thought it was gone for good, and gave little encouragement that I would find her owners.

Two weeks past and although, several calls came in about the cat none were the kitty's owners. Then one afternoon someone called about the cat and my husband took the call. He gave them directions to our house and shortly afterwards, Lizzy was reunited with her owners. Lizzy was 17 years old and her owner could not believe that she was found, and holding the cat in her arms. The owner's had recently moved here from another state and Lizzy was not accustomed to her new surroundings yet when she went missing.

The next time you suspect an animal might be a stray, see if there is a tag on it and contact the owner. If the animal is unapproachable, contact the police or animal control officer. More often than not pets need help in finding their way home. Moreover, usually a pet owner will be forever grateful.