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Check Animal Shelters |
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Be certain to check with every
animal shelter or humane society in your vicinity daily, or at
least every two or three days. Click
here
for a list of some of the local shelters. You must go in
person, as it is very difficult for busy shelter personnel to
identify your pet by phone. Take the extra time to visit
each shelter to avoid an unfortunate oversight. Stray dogs
picked up by animal control are often misidentified as the wrong
breed, wrong age, or even the wrong sex. Check every
department of the shelter, including the hospital room, holding
area, or quarantine area.
Don't think that because your pet
is purebred that he or she was stolen. The shelters are
full of purebred animals of all ages waiting for their owners to
pick them up! |
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Check the Shelter
Websites |
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Many of the animal
shelters now maintain their own websites, posting photos and
information about the dogs at their facility. Click
here
for a list of some of the local shelters and their website
addresses. While these can be useful, don't rely solely on
the shelter websites -- not every dog in the shelter gets his or
her photo and information posted! In some cases, by the
time a dog is posted to the website, his or her time at the
shelter is almost up! |
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Keep Checking the
Shelters |
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Continue to check
shelters for weeks after your pet has disappeared in case it has
been temporarily taken in by someone. Even if your dog was
wearing an I.D. tag or microchip, go to the shelter and look for
yourself! We've seen dogs wearing collars and I.D. tags
waiting at shelters for their owners to pick them up. If
you have moved or changed your phone number, the shelter may
have no way to get in contact with you. |
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Check with Neighbors |
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Someone may have taken your pet in with good intentions, especially
if it was not wearing I.D. Take a photo of your pet
door-to-door, covering several blocks around the area that it was
last seen. Be sure to also check with neighborhood kids.
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Check Local Parks and
Schools |
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Stray pets are
often attracted to areas where there are trash cans filled
with discarded food and plenty of water to drink. Check
locations near where the pet was lost that might be sources of
an easy meal. |
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Post Notices |
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Type or print a bold poster containing your pet's photo, so that it's
easily and quickly legible to passing motorists. Including a
photo greatly increases your chance of recovery. Post copies
of your poster at local veterinary offices, pet supply stores, animal shelters, groomers,
grocery stores, busy intersections, etc. and
throughout your neighborhood in highly visible places.
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Call Lost & Found
Services |
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In addition to animal shelters, some services and organizations take
calls regarding lost and found pets, and can assist in recovery.
Try these resources:
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Place "Lost Pet"
Ads in Local Papers |
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Some publications will run free
"lost pet" ads for a few days.
If not free, the cost is usually minimal, and well worth increasing
the chances of recovering your pet.
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Check "Found Pet" Ads |
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Check "found pet" ads in newspapers daily. Call any ad that remotely
resembles the description of your pet, since the people placing the
ad might not describe your pet accurately.
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Don't Assume Your Pet
was Stolen! |
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Occasionally, we
hear reports of puppies or toy-breed dogs having been stolen
from their owners, but it is very uncommon for a large-breed
dog such as a German Shepherd to be taken by a stranger.
Often, owners assume that the reason their dog is suddenly
missing from their yard could only mean that someone entered
the premises and took the animal. In every one of these
cases, we have found later that the dog either jumped the
fence or escaped the yard in some other manner. In one
case, the dog had gotten under the house and became
trapped. Don't assume that someone has taken your dog! |
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Don't Give Up! |
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Depending on the circumstances under which your pet was lost, and
where it has ended up, it could take several weeks, even months, for
your reunion. For your pet's sake as well as your own, never
stop looking. When you do
locate your pet, RUN -- don't walk -- to the nearest pet supply
store and get an I.D. tag on his or her collar IMMEDIATELY.
An I.D. tag is the best way to help your pet to find his or her
way safely back home. |
