Your Search Can Bring Your Lost Pet Home

Losing a pet is one of the most traumatic things that can happen to you. Not knowing if Fluffy or Fido is alive or dead will break your heart. The best thing you can do is keep your pet contained with a fence, on a leash or in the house. Prevention is best, and even indoor pets should wear a collar with tags that includes your name and phone number as well any license required by your municipality. Many kind people would be glad to return your pet to you, but if your name and address is not on the collar, they can't. Licenses are great and the law, but a plain old ID tag is also a necessity. In addition, a microchip can be a lifesaver if the collar and tags fall off. Microchips are inexpensive, safe and all shelters check for a chip when animals come in. Your veterinarian can chip your dog or cat on your next visit. If despite your best efforts, your pet is lost of missing, act immediately and seek help finding it.

1. Walk or drive the neighborhood. Ask everyone you see, especially children if they have seen your missing pet. Kids playing outside are likely to have spotted your pet. Hand out your contact information in case they find it.

2. Put up posters. Print posters and put them up everywhere. Include the animals name, age, sex, breeds, colors and your contact information including address and phone numbers. Include a photo if you can. Offer a reward if possible. Place the posters in a zip lock bag so they will not deteriorate quickly if it rains. An 8 ½ x 11 piece of paper will fit into a gallon zip lock bag if you fold over about 1 inch off the top or bottom. Post them everywhere and attach them securely to telephone poles especially where people may stop and see them at stop signs and stop lights.

3. Call all shelters and rescue groups and file a lost pet report. Visit all shelters daily until your pet is found. Shelters tend to be understaffed and very busy and there is no guarantee they will recognize your pet as the one in the lost report. You should look yourself, repeatedly.

4. Inform the mail man (or woman), the UPS and FedEx drivers etc. that you are looking. These people really get around and there is always a chance they will spot your pet.

5. Call local veterinarians. Sometimes lost pets are brought to them for medical treatment, to check for a microchip or just because they are the vet. You can probably put up your lost posters there as well.

6. Put an advertisement in the newspaper. Read the newspaper in case someone puts in a found ad identifying your pet.

7. Call the local radio station if you live in a small community. Ask if they will mention your missing pet.

8. Search at night. Especially if you have lost a cat. Cats may be fearful and hide very well. As nocturnal hunters there is a chance they will come out to look for food at night. Search quietly from dusk till dawn.

9. Try a trap. Live traps will allow you to catch a cat or even a dog without harming it. The problem is you may trap something you don't intend to including wildlife. You may be able to borrow or rent a trap from local animal control agencies instead of buying one. Remember, you MUST check the trap frequently (I would not go longer than 30 minutes). You can't leave one overnight, the animal caught (your pet or otherwise) would be very stressed.

10. Post on Craigslist and any other community bulletin boards. Some people are inclined to look on the internet rather than search for posters. Post a classified on Petfinder.com.

With every day that passes, your chances of finding your pet decreases. Start the search immediately and do everything you can to search, publicize and locate your loved one.