Preventive measures - help get a lost pet home - microchip dogs and cats,
tags on dogs with current information (cats generally do not like collars). Keep
cats inside at all times and dogs out in the yard - only when you can supervise.
Make sure children, visitors and workers at your home know the rules about your
pet(s), especially about closing doors and gates securely behind them at all times
(this seems to be one of the most common ways for pets to get out). I always monitor
workers in my house and keep an eye on the critters and when work has been done
on my property, I never let dogs out in the yard until I have checked that gates
are closed and locked.
LOST PET:
- Immediately talk to all of your neighbors - ask them if they have seen your pet,
put them on alert and ask them to check inside sheds, cars, boats, etc. on their
property that the pet could have gotten into while open and is trapped inside. Cats
are especially known to do this and then don't make a sound when trapped inside.
- Talk to your mailman.
- Put up lost pet posters. Not everyone uses the internet or is on the internet all
the time. See Pet Hub for help in making a poster. However, never give
all information about your pet in the poster or a full photo, so that you can make
someone who contacts you positively identify the animal as your pet.
- Contact all the veterinary hospitals in your area and the Emergency Animal Clinics
(they treat rescued injured animals for free) in case your pet was injured and already
taken in or brought in later by someone.
- Share on social media - post on Straydar and Nextdoor neighbor, but again, ask for
specific identification (commands, appearance, etc.) if someone contacts you.
- Check the County and Humane Society shelters every other day in person. You can
also check Pet
Harbor, the County's online listing of animals, but always best to there
to see for yourself.
- Put items of your clothing or pet's bedding, etc. outside in your yard to help your
pet smell familiar home scents.
Beware of scammers - if they cannot describe your pet beyond what is on the flyer
or they don't want to show an image of the pet, steer clear.
Don't give up too soon. Sometimes it just takes a while for word to get around or
an animal to show up somewhere. We've heard stories of pets being found after months!
FOUND PET:
Catch and confine the animal somewhere. Reporting that you have seen a stray pet
running down your street doesn't do much good. The animal is at great risk of being
hit by a car or other mishap. You can greatly help its chances of surviving and
finding its owners by catching it. Dogs often have ID tags on that have an address
or phone number and are supposed to have County license tags on. You can then call
the County with the number to identify the owner. You should also take it to your
vet to have it scanned for a micro-chip as many pet owners are having these implanted
in their pets now.
- Post on Straydar and Nextdoor Neighbor (limiting photo and description (see warning
below).
- Put up signs in your neighborhood and locations such as a local Petco or Petsmart.
- Call & put up signs in veterinary hospitals in the area; take to your vet to
see if it has been microchipped.
- Check Craigslist for Lost ads.
WARNING- Do not provide too much information in signs and ads; leave some specific
info for a person to definitely identify the pet you have found or lost. Unfortunately,
there are people out there who sound very sincere, but only want a free animal to
sell to research labs, and some really sick ones who get some kind of enjoyment
out of telling people they have found their pet and it is being tortured or some
such horrible thing.
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