7 Things You Can Do To Find Your Lost Dog

As July is National Pet Prevention Month, it seems a good time to do a blog post on how to prevent the nerve-wracking situation from happening in the first place. Unfortunately, pets going missing is quite a common occurrence. 

It is estimated by the American Humane Association that 1 in 3 pets go missing in the US, and similarly, thousands of family dogs go missing each year in the UK from theft or by just simply wandering off and getting lost. This is why it’s so important that your dog has a collar, is microchipped, and that if you have a dog door, your dog is fully trained and not an expert escape artist. 

If you find yourself in this unfortunate situation we have seven things that you can do to try and find and bring home your four-legged friend. 

An example of a lost pet flyer, courtesy of PawMaw

Make Posters

One of the first things you should do is to make a poster that says your pet is missing. When making the poster you should have a current photo of your pet, with their name, and your contact details. You can also offer a reward if you can afford to do so. 

Hang The Posters

When the poster is ready you should make multiple copies to place it around the neighbourhood or the last place your pet was at. When hanging up the posters you should target shopping centres or corner shops as well as veterinarians, animal shelters, and animal rescue and control centres. You can even hang some on street lamps to catch the eye of a passer-by. You may even opt to hand out flyers with the same information to people that you bump into. 

Visit Shelters and Veterinarians Often 

Local animal shelters and veterinarians take in missing pets daily. Therefore, these places should be visited once a day to check if your pet is under their care. It would be a good idea to bring a recent photo of your pet to show them every visit. This is because many people and volunteers are working in animal shelters. Therefore, it would be easier to show the new people working that day a photo, if you are meeting them for the first time. 

When you visit the veterinarians and shelters the first time it would be worthwhile to mention that your pet is missing so that they can keep their eye out for them. Some local shelters also post on their website the animals that they have brought in. You should keep up-to-date with their social channels and website postings. However, it is still best to physically go in since the people working there may not have had time to send out a post.

Drive Around The Neighbourhood 

When you go to check-in at your local animal shelters and veterinarians you should also take a drive around the neighbourhood. You can also stop by the last place your pet was at. While doing this always keep an eye out for your pet. You may even ask people if they have, by chance, seen your beloved pet while they were on their runs or walks. Therefore, keep a photo of your pet on you so that you can show them who you are looking for. 

Use Social Media and Websites

Social media channels like Facebook are a great way to tell people that your pet is missing. Posting on your Facebook timeline will let your friends know to keep an eye out. This can ensure they’re on the lookout. There are also several Facebook groups or websites that cater to finding lost pets, such as Animal Search, which also has some good tips and tricks for locating a lost pet. Searching for them and posting on them is a good way to let other people, who want to help, know what to look for. 

Besides using Facebook there are also many sites whose only purpose is to help people connect with lost pets. These sites post daily on the pets that they have found. Some sites let you post on them to tell them that you are looking for your four-legged fluff ball. 

Set A Safe Trap

A more controversial way to try to get your pet back home is to set a safe trap for them. You should talk to your veterinarian or people who work at the animal shelters about this before trying anything yourself. They know the best way to set up a safe trap for your pet without them getting hurt. Once your safe trap is ready you can try to line it with towels that have your smell on. 

The trap should be set up in the front or the back of the house. Plus, you should check them regularly. You can also put out your pet’s favourite foods and toys in the yards in the hope that the smell attracts them. 

Go To Your Microchip Company

If your pet has a microchip embedded then you should pay a visit to the company responsible for it. Let them know that your pet is missing, and to check if someone may have found them. They would have called the microchip company if they did find your pet. However, make sure that your information with them is up-to-date. This should be something you do straight away if you buy or rescue a new pup.

The main way to find your pet is to be persistent. It may take weeks or months until you find your pet or till they come back to you. But, hopefully, they will be found or come home soon.No dog can replace another, but if you’re looking for a new puppy we have some gorgeous pooches available. Click here to search for puppies for sale, or to advertise your pup or litter for sale.