One of the most difficult situations pet owners can find themselves in is when you come home and realize that your dog has escaped the yard or your cat tore through the screen and is out wandering. If it hasn’t ever happened to you before, you might not know what to do, so it’s important to have a plan before this happens.
As with most things, planning ahead is important to give you the best chance of finding your pet. Make sure all pets wear collars and ID tags at all times. Along with a rabies tag, you should purchase a personal ID tag that lists your pet’s name and your phone number. Since collars can go missing, however, permanent forms of ID such as microchipping are still strongly recommended.
The most important thing to remember is not to panic. If you’re curled up on your couch weeping, that isn’t helping find your pet. As soon as you realize they’re gone, you have to jump into action to find them as soon as possible.
If your pet has a microchip, the first thing you want to do is report your pet missing with the microchip registry. Most vets and animal control agencies will scan for microchips, which will lead them directly back to you. This is why you should always keep your information in the registry up to date.
Place the smelliest cat or dog food you can find outside your home. Tuna works great with cats. You want something that will draw your pet’s attention back to the house. If they’re just in the yard under a bush where you can’t see them, this alone might bring them out of hiding.
The next step is to get out in the neighborhood and start looking. Bring along pictures of your pet to show neighbors, lost flyers, and anything that makes a sound your pet will come to. Have a box of dog biscuits, a bag of cat treats, and a can of food to tap with a spoon. Anything your pet will recognize and want.
You have to talk to everyone. Stop at every neighbor’s house and ask if they’ve seen your pet, and remember to leave your contact information with them. Ask the postman, the neighborhood kids, anyone. Show everyone the photos of your pet so they know what exactly they’re looking for.
Remember that frightened cats can hide in some pretty small spaces, so search everywhere, even if you don’t think your cat could fit in the space. A flashlight might help you, even during the daytime, look in some of these hidden places. Many cats hide close to home, especially if they’ve always been kept indoors, because they get frightened. Look in all the bushes, under the porch, anywhere that provides good cover to a scared animal.
Hang lost flyers with a photo of your pet and your contact information around the neighborhood and the immediate area. This way anyone you may not have spoken to in person can still help you. Having a color photo of your pet on the flyer is best, but still include a physical description, including the date and area where the pet was last seen.
Once everyone in your area is aware of the missing pet, it’s time to spread out. You need to call all vets in the surrounding area and alert them. Someone may have found your pet injured and brought it to a vet for treatment. You’ll want to call animal shelters and animal control for the same reason. Many people that find a lost animal will bring it to one of these organizations. Visit these places in person to see any animals that might possibly be yours.
Most animal-friendly establishments, from vets to pet stores, have a bulletin board where you can post lost flyers. Take advantage of this and post as many flyers as you can in every store and vet office that you can. While you’re there, take a look for any ‘found’ flyers. Someone might have your pet and is looking for you just as desperately as you’re looking for them.
Newspapers always have a section for lost and found pets, so check the paper regularly. Put in an ad about your lost pet and check for anyone who might have found yours. Some papers will even place these ads for free.
Losing a pet is extremely stressful, but if you put together a plan you greatly increase the chance of getting your pet home again.
Don’t forget to contact MHS if your pet gets lost. We have a bulletin board in our lobby for lost pets, so bring a flyer with you to post there. We can also let you know if we’ve taken in any animals recently that match your lost pet or if anyone has contacted us about a found pet.
