STEPS TO TAKE WHEN YOU LOSE A PET
The order in which you take these steps is almost as important as the steps themselves in ensuring your success in finding your pet.
1. Search your home and adjoining property thoroughly. This involves all areas that are accessible, inside and outside, to your pet.
2. Canvas your neighborhood immediately, preferably by car, within a mile radius. Check hazardous areas such as open sewers, bayous and greenbelts, and vacant lots.
3. Tell neighbors you have lost your pet and ask them to contact you if they have any information on your lost pet.
4. Post your lost pet on the Stone Creeek web site and petfinder.org for regional, state and national coverage.
5. Canvas your neighborhood again, this time on foot, and search open yards and ask neighbors, your mail carrier, and any contractors that are working in your neighborhood if they have a sighting on your lost pet. Direct them to view your lost pet ad on the web site.
6. Make flyers using a clear photograph and detailed description of your pet. Be sure to date the flyer and include the location from where the pet was lost and the date. Post your flyer at pet supply stores, veterinarians, grooming clinics and grocery stores that have post-it boards. Critical location stop signs may be used, and are most effective early in your search. Enclose your flyer in a plastic cover to protect it from the elements.
7. Contact Animal Control, SPCA, Emergency Clinic and Citizens For Animal Protection immediately. Leave your lost pet report in person, by web site, or by phone. Request e-mails be sent to you on pets matching your lost pet’s description. It is MOST IMPORTANT to visit these shelters as often as possible. Make sure to provide all shelters with a flyer that has a photo of your lost pet. YOU MUST CONTACT ANIMAL CONTROL at least every other day. Visit their web site countypets.com every day. Contact special breed rescues if your lost pet is a pure breed. Contact other public and non-profit shelters as your search continues.
8. Contact DOT Dead Animal Pickup and give them the date your pet was lost, a detailed description of your pet, and the location from where your pet was lost from.
9. Contact all neighborhood veterinarians as well as mobile pet vets and mobile grooming services. In addition to your leaving a flyer, leave your lost pet report. Check on all found pets that have recently been found in the area. Rescue individuals often make errors in reporting the correct breed of a found pet.
10. Leave a towel, an article of clothing with your scent, and a favorite toy outside your home to attract your lost pet.
11. Keep a diary of all phone calls, e-mails, inquiries, search results, etc. that will enable you to track the success of your lost pet search.
12. Continue taking your walks during the day and again at night. Animals walk in the direction with the wind blowing into their faces. This should be your direction when you are out walking. Also, cats are on the move from just before sunset until approximately 11:00 a.m.
13. Place your lost pet ad in the local newspaper (preferably the Sunday edition), the GreenSheet newspaper, and the Suburban newspaper. Do not forget to check the Pets Found section and the Pets For Sale/Adoption section.
14. Leave your flyer at garage sales and estate sales.
15. DO NOT GIVE UP EARLY. Vacations, business trips, “rescue confusion” all play a part in reuniting you with your pet. STAY FOCUSED. Children are the key to looking for lost cats. They are not afraid to bend down and look under shrubs, etc.
16. MAKE SURE to give courtesy in all areas when you are reunited with your pet. Take down flyers and make those contacts and phone calls.
In addition, IT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO OFFER A REWARD EARLY ON and not as an afterthought. A Reward is especially critical as a motivation to the rescue individual when finding a pure breed or a cat.
A NO QUESTIONS ASKED statement is always a good idea.
DO NOT PLAY GAMES with important information that will reunite you with your lost pet, i.e. collar description, tags or microchip description, etc.
ALWAYS BE PREPARED to present your lost pet’s medical records, current photos, and distinguishing marks description as positive identification in getting your pet back.
PROMISE YOURSELF TO ALWAYS KEEP CURRENT IDENTIFICATION ON YOUR PET (tags or microchip). It is your pet’s ticket home. Have your pet SPAYED OR NEUTERED for the health of your pet and to control the pet population.
