What Can You Do to Find Your Lost Dog?
Practical Ideas Up the Odds of Your "Best Friend's" Safe Return
Dec 30, 2008
Here are some tips that leave few stones unturned. Never give up hope. Lost dogs have been known to return home after months.
- Keep on file current photographs of your dog for identification purposes. Including yourself in some of the photos helps establish your ownership.
- Always have a current rabies tag and identification tag attached to your pet's collar. Microchipping or tattooing your dog can help locate him. Animals without identification are often euthanized after a relatively short time. Identification buys time.
Small dogs notoriously squeeze themselves into some pretty weird places, so search your property thoroughly. Some will crawl into some tiny spaces. Look everywhere—inside appliances, inside pipes, and under anything! A frightened or injured dog will hide in dark spaces, so bring a flashlight. Check under houses, storage sheds, garages, dumpsters, trash cans, and under cars.
- Have everyone call your dog's name. A dog whistle can get your pet's attention. Their high-pitched sounds can carry as far as a mile-- or farther. Stop, be quiet, and listen for your pet to “reply.”
- Troll the neighborhood: Talk to the residents of each house in the area where your pet was lost. Leave with them a written description of your lost pet and your phone number. Because of scam artists and dog thieves never leave your full name or address.
- Call and visit all of local area shelters and animal control agencies. Many have computerized lost and found information, but it’s up to you to come to the shelter to check out any leads in person. Walk through the kennels; don’t assume that calling is sufficient.
- Check listings of animals left at veterinarians’ offices.
- File a lost report with the local animal control agency. Attach a current picture of your to the file card, and be sure to call to have the card removed when you locate your dog.
Posting fliers within a mile's radius of where the dog was lost can result in more found pets than any other means. On fliers, place your dog's photo; color works best.
List the date and place you last saw him, his breed, sex, age, and weight along with your telephone number. Be sure to withhold several distinguishing characteristics of your dog. If the person who claims to have found your pet cannot describe these features to you, they do not have your pet!
- Check the “found” ads in newspapers and place a lost ad. Consider placing an additional ad in the classified section.
- Ask elementary schools in your area to post fliers. Kids are everywhere and may see your dog.
- Talk to everybody you run across and give them your dog's description and your phone number. Neighborhood kids are a great resource.
- Talk to local businesses, your letter carrier, sanitation works, and your neighbors.
- Call radio stations that offer lost pet notices as a public service.
- If your dog is purebred, contact the local breed club.
- Visit all local veterinarians with a flier and a picture.
In all instances, offer a reward, but do not reveal the amount.
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