The resources on this page are recommended if your dog is lost. The key to finding your missing pet is to make sure that your dog's information is available to the public in a variety of formats. You never know who may see or find your dog and you want to ensure that you have created awareness in every possible forum.
License and Microchip your dog
Make sure your dog has a license and a microchip with your current information. In the event your dog is found and taken to a shelter, animal control facility or veterinarian, they will likely be scanned for a microchip. If your information is up to date you will be contacted rather quickly and reunited with your pet. At the very minimum, make sure your dog has a tag with their name and a phone number you can be reached at most of the time. This will save a lot of time and worry as you can be reunited with your pet fairly quickly.
Get your dogs information out to the public quickly
Once you realize your dog is missing, it is imperative that you get the information out to the public as quickly as possible. Make a flyer with a picture of your dog, all pertinent information such as your pets name, breed, color, distinctive marks, type/color of collar or harness, if they are shy and will likely hide or run if approached or if they are friendly and will approach a stranger. Make sure you put the date they went missing and the last known location. Place your phone number prominently on the flyer. If possible canvas the area your dog went missing by going door to door and speaking with every person you see in the area. The more awareness you can create, the more people will be looking out for your missing pet. This is often the key to finding your pet. Extend your search from the immediate area of the last known location outward as far as you can. Make sure that you post signs in local businesses, alert the mail carrier or any other people that are regularly in the area. Most importantly, walk the area yourself frequently as your missing pet is most likely going to come to you rather than anyone else.
Get your missing pet's information to ALL veterinary clinics and hospitals in the area surrounding the last known location of your pet
Alert every veterinary office in the area surrounding the last known location of your missing dog has all the information that is listed on your flyer. If possible, drop off a flyer at each office. Do a Google search for all veterinary offices located in the area, make a list with addresses and phone numbers, then start calling and dropping off flyers. Make sure you also notify any 24 hour veterinary hospitals in your area as that would most likely be where injured dog would end up after normal business hours.
Register your missing pet with ALL local Animals Shelters and Animal Control Facilities.
If your pet is found by a stranger, they may not look for the owner and take your dog to the local animal shelter instead. Typically, shelters hold strays for a brief period of time to allow owners to claim their pet. This means you need to check back with the shelter daily, even if you have registered your pet. Do not rely on the shelter to contact you. Most animal shelters have their animals posted on the internet so you can check their site daily. Information on the shelter websites is usually updated throughout the day.
Register your lost pet on the internet
Take full advantage of internet resources to spread the word about your missing pet. Start with a classified ad in your local newspaper. Most have an option to post on the internet as well as the printed version so make sure you use both options. There are many internet sites that are available to post information and some even register your dog with the local shelters. Below are some links that you can use to create more awareness about your missing pet. Some are no cost while others charge a fee for their services. Make sure you bookmark each site so you can return to your ad for updates or removal.
Use Social Media Sites
Use social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to get the word out about your missing pet. Ask friends to share the information with their friends as well for even more awareness.
After you have found your missing pet
Congratulations on finding your missing pet! Now that you have your best friend back home, you still have a little work to do before you can put this experience behind you.
- Return to all the websites that you visited to post your missing pet and remove the ads or change the status to found. This will prevent calls later on from people who believe they found your pet.
- Alert the local shelters and animal control offices that your pet has been located.
- Remove ads from newspapers or any other publications that you may have used.
- Post the good news on the social media sites you used to create awareness
- Remove any flyers that you posted at businesses and throughout neighborhoods. This will prevent calls about found dogs, let people know your dog is no longer missing, and clean up the areas that you used to post the information.
- Spread the word to anyone that you spoke to about your missing dog to let them know that he or she has been located. This includes neighbors, mail carriers, etc.
- If you haven't done so already, purchase a license and identification tag for your pet. Get them micro-chipped if possible. This is the best way to ensure that your best friend will find it's way home if it is ever lost again.