If Your Pet Gets Lost

First, don’t panic, get organized.

It’s much harder to find a small pet than a large one, and even harder to find a cat than a dog. Chances are, your pet is frightened and may be hiding to protect itself. This means it will most likely keep quiet, too. A dog might bark or whimper if he hears you calling his name, but a cat almost never responds. It happens, but it’s more rare.

The first thing to do when you notice your pet is missing is to look close by… inside your home, your yard, your neighborhood. Call out his name so he knows you’re nearby. He might come running to you, or possibly might run home. Be sure to leave a pet door open if he uses one, or have someone at home to watch for him and to answer the phone in case anyone calls.

Check with neighbors to see if they will let you look in garages and outbuildings. I found one of my cats in the garage next door after the neighbor had just taken some things out there and didn’t notice that a cat ran in. Another time, I found my lost cat in my own garage. I had forgotten I had just been in there and didn’t notice his quick dart behind me.

If you don’t find your pet right away

If you haven’t prepared anything before, go ahead and do it now. Make a poster on your computer, or simply tape a current photo onto a sheet of paper, then write with a marker the pet’s name and description, then your name, address and phone number. If you are offering a reward, mention that, too. Make copies of this poster and put them up in your neighborhood, perhaps at community bulletin boards in the supermarket, laundromat, convenience store, etc.

To make sure everyone has your number, hand out cards or posters as you search. Tape one to your front door, as well as your own car window.
Never put these into people’s mailboxes, as that is illegal. If no one is home, tape it to their door, or slip it inside the door in any way you can.
Be sure to leave one with your local police department and animal control agency, if there is one. If your town has a shelter or rescue group, contact them as well, along with your veterinarian. Another great contact to make is your local postal carrier. They know all the homes and often the pets. Also check with other delivery people, as they might spot your pet in someone else’s yard. This means the UPS driver, FedEx, pizza, newspaper and flower deliverers, meter readers, etc.

Don’t expect your pet to come running to you when you call, however. Remember, they are frightened and out of their comfort zone. They won’t know how to use what we might think of as good judgment, choosing to hide and be quiet instead. That is their instinct in the wild, so that is what they will do now.

If your pet is wearing a tag, so much the better. Identification is probably the most important thing you can do to help recover your pet. Even indoor pets occasionally slip outside.

Set a Trap

If you can, borrow a humane trap from the police department, the shelter, or anyone you can think of who might have one, and place it wherever the pet was last spotted, if possible. Otherwise, set it near your home. He may try to come home, but may not know how to get back in.
If he is not located the first day, stay in touch with all the agencies you contacted on the first day. If they seem disinterested, don’t get angry, but do be persistent. Be sure the police actually take a report. Some agencies don’t take pet loss seriously, even if there are dog fight clubs in the area. (I know too well about this one, but that’s another story…)

Here are other tactics you can use if things go beyond that first, hectic, disturbing day:
•    Place an ad in the local paper.
•    Ask the radio station to broadcast it.
•    Keep food and water by your house, in case he comes back. Don’t worry if other animals are eating it.
•    Hang something with your scent on it outside your house. Dirty clothes work well, and your pet may pick up on this and be attracted to it.
•    Post your lost pet on the many web sites that provide a lost and found service.

If someone calls you to collect the reward, be careful. Never go to their place alone, and never send money “up front” for them to ship your pet back to you.

Lastly, but sadly, many animals also get hit by cars, so you may need to check with the road maintenance people to be sure yours isn’t one of them. To save yourself alot of grief it’s best that you purchase a

<a href=”http://www.wirelesspetfence.info”><b><Wireless pet fence></b></a> to prevent these tradegies before they can happen

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