6 Easy Steps To Finding Your Lost Dog

Discovering that your family pet has gone missing is a horrible feeling. These tips will aid you in starting the search for your pet. The quicker you get started, the quicker your tearful reunion can take place.

Step 1: Once you’re certain your pet is not in your home, check the surrounding area of your property thoroughly. Your pet might have wandered into a storage structure or a garage or even into a trashcan or workbench drawer.

Step 2: Do not waste any time hoping that your animal will return home. The best chance you have to recover your pet is to get to work finding him. Begin by alerting the neighbors that your animal has gone missing. They might have seen him darting down the street in one direction or another. Make sure your neighbors have a good description of your animal and that they know how to get in touch with you if they have any information.

Step 3: Get on the phone! Call all of the local humane societies and animal shelters as well as animal control. You will need to file a lost report with each agency you contact. It wouldn’t hurt to begin phoning shelters that seem out of the way, you’d be surprised how far an animal can travel on foot! While the agencies will get a thorough description of your animal you should also be willing to drive to the agency yourself. (If your search turns from hours to days, you will need to visit the shelters every 3 days.)

Step 4: Begin making fliers about your lost pet that you will post everywhere. The flier should be very descriptive and ideally should include a photo of your pet. You will want to describe where and when the pet went missing, the age, size and sex of pet, and the breed and name of your pet. Include any special markings or color variations that make your pet easy to spot. Make sure the flier contains several phone numbers as a way to contact you with information on your pet. If you intend to offer a reward, include that information as well. Post these fliers all over your neighborhood, in nearby shopping centers and on the bulletin boards of any businesses that will allow it.

Step 5: Turn to the world wide web. There are several websites that will post your missing pet information at no charge. Also, call your local newspaper to set up an ad to run in the classified section of the newspaper.

Step 6: Believe it or not, several cities actually have Certified Missing Animal Response technicians; pet detectives if you will. These technicians will apply investigative techniques to aid you in finding your pet. Make sure you know the cost of these services if you choose to go this route.

Once your pet is home safe and sound, take a moment to reflect on how to avoid this situation in the future. It might even be a good idea to invest in a microchip that will help you and your dog easily reunite if this traumatic event occurs again. This article was provided by Brian Spilner at pet-super-store.com a website featuring dog doors and orthopedic dog beds.