Real-life Ace Ventura

We are all familiar with the popular (and funny) Ace Ventura: Pet Detective movies and today I would like to talk with you about a real-life pet detective who thoroughly enjoys his career of reuniting lost pets with their owners. This particular company is based in the UK, but I am sure there are pet detectives in the United States as well. Pets have become increasingly popular and the need for services like this are on the rise. I hope you enjoy my post today, and if you know of any reputable pet detective agencies in the United States, please leave me a comment, I would be more than happy to check them out and add them to this post!

Tom Watkins is the founder of Animal Search UK and he makes his living searching for and finding missing pets. While Ace Ventura was focused mostly on finding pets for the rich and famous, Mr. Watkins' customers are mainly the elderly and the disabled - they have no means of looking for their pets themselves. With no where else to turn, I think it is truly wonderful that they make their careers doing what others are not able to do. Their website (http://www.animalsearchuk.com) is a really helpful tool that all pet owners should take a look at whether you are located in the UK or anywhere else in the world.

Not only does their site have heart warming stories about missing pets that were found by their search team, they also have incredibly valuable advice and tips on what owners can do when they discover their pets are missing. Mr. Watkins formed Animal Search UK eight years ago and they are now one of Britain's leading specialists in assisting owners that have lost pets anywhere in the UK. They search for any kind of animal including dogs, cats, birds, horses, and even ferrets.

The best thing about their website is that it is free for pet owners to post ads advertising their missing pet. Visitors to the site can search through the ads and some pets are reunited with their owners this way. It is a great way to reach people and get the word out about your missing pet. People are also to able post for free any pets they have found - just another way pets are reunited with their owners! They also have a dedicated telephone number that is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to receive calls from people who have found pets.

The search team recently acquired a new, highly recognizable vehicle for the crew to travel to different locations to search for the missing pets on foot. The following information is on their website and I would like to share it with you - if you have a missing pet, this information will be incredibly helpful to you.

• Scent: If you leave an article of clothing (it should be worn by you and not washed) or pillowcase hanging outside your house, your animal may be able to find it's way home by following the scent. Cats and dogs have a well-developed sense of smell and if they are close, they will be abel to recognize the scent and follow it back home.
• Your pet could be trapped somewhere: If you have neighbors with sheds or garages, your cat or dog may have gone in there and become trapped. It is much better for you to search through those places so your pet hears a familiar voice. If they hear the voice of a stranger they may become frightened and not make any sound. Ask your neighbors if they have noticed anything knocked over or out of place anywhere - this could indicate that your pet was trapped in there and panicked when they were trying to escape.
• Hit by a car: Unfortunately this is all too common especially if you live near a busy road or highway. You should search through the bushes and area around your house. If they have been killed, they could have been picked up by Animal Control so it is always helpful to give them a call.
• Veterinarians and Police Stations: If someone has found your pet and they are injured, chances are they have taken them to a veterinarian they know. It is also possible that they have dropped your pet off at a police station if they don't know where else to take it. You should call all veterinarians and police stations within 10 miles of your home - the worst that could happen is they haven't had a pet matching your description dropped off.

There should be more companies like this one all around the world. One of the worst things for a pet owner to go through is to have their pet missing and not knowing if they are laying hurt somewhere or if they are just lost and scared. All I can say is that pet owners need to look out for each other and be there to offer support and do whatever we can to help. This means we should all be reading our local newspaper ads - read the missing pet ads, read the found pet ads and keep your eyes open in your neighborhood. If you see an animal that seems to be lost - approach with caution, but try to coax the animal to you. If it has identification tags, give the owner a call. You would want someone to do the same for you if your beloved pet was missing.

Please let me know of any companies in the United States (or anywhere) that offer similar services - and let's get the word out to pet owners about the resources available to them when they are missing a pet. I hope you found this post informative and helpful!!