Back in August — oh, so long ago, already — I wrote a post about what to do if you find a pet running loose. Today I’m going to focus on the other end of the problem, what to do if your cat or dog escapes.
Losing a pet is one of the worst experiences a pet parent can have. Grief mixes with fear and frustration in an agonizing stew of uncertainty. I know, because it happened to me one Christmas day when my dog got bored and climbed a tree to scale the fence. He found a sympathetic homeless man and took up residence for the next six months. I got lucky when eventually the man tired of the responsibility and called to return Copper.
Most people aren’t so lucky. I get frequent calls as an animal communicator to help find lost animals. It is hard not to take on the owners’ angst and the animal’s confusion, and is often emotionally draining work. That is one avenue to find your lost pet, but I want to suggest several other strategies.
The first step is preventive. Be sure your pet is microchipped. Then even if Fluffy escapes just after a bath, before the collar and tags go back on, she can be identified.
Once your pet is lost, scout your area in a few-mile radius for signs. Most pets don’t wander far from home even over several days, although some do and others are picked up by well-meaning passers-by and taken home to an entirely different community.
Post your own LOST (CAT) (DOG) signs with a photo if you have one, your phone number, and the date of posting.
At the same time, call all the shelters within a 50 mile radius. Do it daily. Some have a hotline for lost pets, others will require you go in person to look through the kennels. Do this at least every three days, because that is often the stray hold period, after which the animal can be adopted out or euthanized. Usually the latter doesn’t happen that quickly unless the shelter is overly full.
Call local vets to find out if your pet has been brought in injured.
Go online if you can and post your pet with organizations that broadcast lost and found pets. Here are a few free ones to start. I am not endorsing any of these, but list them as possibilities:
- www.Petfinder.com
- MissingPet.net
- Pets911.com
- LostPetsos.org
- CraigsList.com
Searching on foot can feel like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack for the average pet owner. However, skilled trackers are available in most parts of the country. I worked with Debbie Hall in Mansefield, MA on several lost animals. She did the ground tracking in collaboration with my animal communication.
In the Seattle area we have pet detective Kat Albrecht, founder of Missing Pet Partnership. Her website, www.MissingPetPartnership.orgoffers a national directory of pet detectives who use scent tracking dogs that can follow a scent for up to three or four weeks in optimal conditions. If you’re interested in training your own dog to become a pet detective, you might pick up Ms. Albrecth’s training manual, Dog Detectives: Train Your Dog to Find Lost Pets.
And be sure to ask neighbors and friends to keep an eye out for your pet and report any sitings.
Technorati Tags: lost pets, dog or cat escaped home, pet detectives, missing pets, animal communication, stray dogs and cats, scent tracking lost animals
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Vicki,
Thank you for sharing the link to Missing Pet Partnership’s web site. Not only do we have a list of resources (not many, but a few pet detectives with search dogs trained to find lost pets) but our RECOVERY TIPS page has great info on lost cat behavior, lost dog behavior, and how to create effective posters. Our testimonials are filled with people (from around the world, not just Seattle) who found our web site, followed the instructions, and got their dogs or cats back home (without having to hire a pet detective). Donations are very low, so any support is appreciated at this time. Thanks again for your blog and for mentioning our work to others!
Kat, you’re more than welcome. Your service is wonderful and I’m happy you’re there for people. Your website is an excellent resource too.
Vicki, Great article. My Siberian Husky escaped from my yard through a loose fence board on December 24th ’08. I too felt the “Grief mixing with fear and frustration in an agonizing stew of uncertainty” the day before Christmas. Something that helped me find my Husky before, is to start asking EVERYONE you see (outside) if they have seen a dog (of your discription) running loose. People are usually very helpfull in pointing you in the right direction, or even help you catch your dog. But the one thing that reconnected me with my Siberian Husky the next day on Christmas was FidoFinder.com. After searching all night, and freaking out, I went home and posted information about my lost dog on the sites listed above, and FindoFinder.com. On Christmas day a wonderful lady three miles away found my dog, fed her, gave her water, and went online to try to find the owner (me). Oh, I forgot….she didn’t have her collar on. But she did have a microchip. Anyway, your article reminded me of last year. The lady that found my dog did a Google search and found my “lost dog” post on FidoFinder and called me. When she opened her front door and my pup ran out jumping, squeeking, and licking me nonstop, the tears ran down my face like a river and I couldn’t have been happier. This was the best Christmas ever! Sorry this was so long.
Great story, Jeff. I love the successes, and it’s a good reminder about http://www.fidofinder.com. I know that had to be your best Christmas ever.