What to Do when Your Pet Goes Missing

A friend returned home to discover her back gate open and her two pet dogs missing. Her heart almost stopped. These dogs were beloved family pets that were not allowed to roam and did not have street smarts. While there was no way to find out who left the gate open-a family member, a friend, or someone checking a meter-my friend could and did immediately set out to recover her family pets.

My friend instinctively took all the correct steps to find her pets. She and her son and a friend fanned out around the neighborhood while she called the police. They were relieved to discover one of the animals had been picked up and was safely stashed away at the dog pound waiting to be bailed out.

But try as they might, they could not discover the whereabouts of the other pet. They called, they whistled, they drove up and down the nearby streets. Worry and concern grew. The dog held a special place in my friend's heart, because the dog had belonged to her husband whom she'd lost tragically to cancer a few months earlier.

Finally, they found the dog, curled up on the side of the roadway near a neighbor's home where she'd dragged herself after being slammed into by a vehicle. The family pet was still alive. As quickly, yet as carefully as possible, they brought their pet to the vet. The verdict after treating her for shock and more minor injuries and bruising? Either amputate the one back leg or take her to another state for surgery. My friend wasn't about to lose her husband's pet dog or allow her leg to be amputated when it might be spared. She headed to the far away clinic.

But what really hurt was thinking of that poor pet animal alone and injured. Someone hit that dog, a pet, and sped away. Someone must have known they hit an animal, but didn't stop to check. Someone didn't even consider the pain an animal and someone's pet might be experiencing or the worry of a family who would be searching.

A truly unselfish, compassionate person would have stopped to check on the well being of the animal. Another person might have, at least, called to report a dog had been hit, probably injured and to give the location. It would have made the person who hit the dog feel better and caused the family pet to get treatment earlier.

Our compassion as a nation and as individuals does not show just by how much we donate to worthy causes or by the philosophy we spout, it is revealed day by day in how we treat others-including our family pets.

If we "hit" an animal, let's not think about ourselves or our schedules, but about how we would feel if it was our pet, our child, our family and act accordingly. Let's take care to treat others, including pets, with care, consideration and compassion.

Thankfully, my friend found her injured pet in time to save the animal more suffering, but many others are lost for long periods of time.

What can we do when our beloved pet turns up missing?

One, make sure your pets have the appropriate tags/implanted chips, etc.

Two, search the immediate area.

Three, call the police, highway department and the pound.

Four, talk to the neighbors.

Five, post signs and information around the area, at animal shelters and even on the internet.

Six, it doesn't hurt to pray.

Seven, don't give up.

Once found, take the time to let others know the pet has been found and celebrate.