Request Assistance
Ask others to assist in searching, posting and distributing flyers, and implementing as many strategies as possible to locate your dog.
Especially if your dog is a new addition to your family, immediately notify his previous guardian (prior owner, rescue organization or shelter, foster home, breeder, etc.) and request assistance. Do not be embarrassed or worried about this notification, as the dog’s recovery could be dependent on it.
Make (and Post) Flyers – Big and Small
Create Small Flyers - visible and un-cluttered
Using a computer, create and print 8 ½ x 11 inch flyers:
Printable flyers can also be created on-line or at office supply stores
Pet FBI - create a free, printable flyer
Lost My Doggie - the free services package includes a lost pet flyer generator.
Staples - flyers and/or posters can be printed and/or laminated at stores such as Staples.
Create BIG flyers - visible and un-cluttered
These flyers are created by attaching the 8 ½ x 11 inch flyers to fluorescent colored poster board:
Should "REWARD" be Used?
Whether to put REWARD on lost dog flyers has become controversial and the use has pros and cons. The biggest reason not to include "reward" is that it can encourage people to chase the dog with undesirable consequences. It can also create scam situations. The reasons for using "reward" include that it can be an incentive for people who would not otherwise help in locating a lost dog (although in many cases "Please Help" can be more effective), it can encourage a thief to return a dog, and it can influence someone who has information on the theft to report it.
Post and Distribute the Flyers
Post the BIG Flyers
Post the big flyers (using a staple gun, tacks, or packing or duct tape) on telephone poles, being sure to post them at busy street corners and main intersections.
Post the Small Flyers
These flyers should be used to supplement the larger posters along roads, and can be:
***Alternatively, a specific flyer could be made for this purpose that requests that owners search areas of their property where a dog could possibly be hiding
Search - on foot and by car
Do Not Chase
Being chased can result in a lost dog being harder to capture, and can cause the dog to run further away or into traffic. Therefore, it might be best to include instructions for potential rescuers to not chase your dog, but to call with a location and attempt to keep the dog in sight. In fact, lost dogs often revert to a fight or flight mode and do not recognize or respond even to their owners. The best approach is often to gain the dog’s attention (do not stare or look intently at the dog), and get down on the ground on your back, a position which can serve to draw the dog to you. Jogging away from a dog might entice the dog to follow. Having treats with a strong aroma can be of assistance, but depending on the level the dog is functioning at, his sense of smell could be compromised. If there are other dogs in your home, consider taking them to search with you. It can be beneficial to have a slip lead with you.
Entice the Dog to Stay In, or Come To, an Area
Water, food, items with the dog’s scent, items with worn clothing from a person closely bonded to the dog, and, if possible, some type of shelter should be placed in areas of sightings. These items can serve to motivate the dog to stay in an area and make reuniting with him easier. Grilling food on a BBQ can assist in luring a dog to an area. If you have a fenced yard, leave gates open for the dog and similarly, consider leaving the door to your home open for your dog to enter if he returns on his own.
Continue to canvas the area for the lost dog and solicit help from others in doing so
Check posters and flyers and replace when necessary
Visit Area Animal Shelters
It is best to actually visit these facilities and, while the dog is lost, to do so every few days if possible. While there, provide them with some small flyers so that they will have a photograph of the dog, but ask to view the dogs at the facility, including those dogs in an infirmary or quarantined area. Don't count on a staff member to know if your dog is there, or to recognize the dog as yours.
Contact Breed Specific and Other Rescue Groups
The volunteers involved with these groups would likely be willing to spread the word regarding the missing dog, often learn about found dogs, and, if the dog were to enter into the care of their group, would know to notify you. Be sure to provide them with a photograph of the dog.
Use resources such as Petfinder's shelter search feature to locate shelters and rescue groups in the area of the lost dog
Visit Law Enforcement, Veterinarian, Grooming and Other Such Facilities
When there, leave small flyers and request that staff be made aware of the missing dog. At the dog-related facilities, discuss with them that the dog could be brought to their location as a "found" dog or as someone's "pet."
No Current Lost Dog?
If you are not currently searching for a lost dog, consider preparing materials and choosing any resources that you would use if your dog were ever to become lost. Of course, what you want to do is prevent the occurrence.
Post On, and Check, Lost and Found Pet Sites
Craigslist (post and search in the community section under pets and also under lost+found)
Finding Rover - Free for users, facial recognition technology is used to reunite lost pets with their people. (Short article from FoxNews11)
Post on Facebook pages for lost pets in your area and on breed specific lost pet pages such as Lost Italian Greyhounds - Amber Alert and general breed pages such as Italian Greyhound Owners
Poster, Email, Facebook, Phone, and Postcard Alerts (free and paid services)
PawBoost - input your lost pet's information and photograph and have a free, printable poster emailed to you. This poster can be emailed, for free, to shelters, veterinarians, and volunteers in your geographic area. With a paid option (three price points) called PawBoost Alert, your lost pet's information will appear in the Facebook newsfeeds of people in your local geographic area.
PetAmberAlert - choose from poster fax alerts and/or phone alerts - social media alerts are free with either option.
FindToto - phone and social media alerts
Lost My Doggie - a free lost pet flyer; free fax/email alerts to animal shelters and veterinarians; and paid phone and mail options.
Lost Pet Cards - postcard mailing alerts
If you utilize a phone alert service, request that the message ask people to search their property for the missing dog
Micro-Chip Databases
If your lost dog is micro-chipped, notify the micro-chip registry company so that your dog can be listed in their lost dog database and alerts can be sent out - for instance, Home Again.
Pet Key - All micro-chip brands can be registered for free. Enter your dog's micro-chip number into the Pet Key database, report that the dog is lost, and an alert will be sent to shelters, veterinarians, and members within twenty-five miles of where the dog was last seen.
Radio and Television
Contact local radio and television stations and request that they assist in notifying the pubic about your missing dog; they will sometimes do this as a free service.
Newspaper Ads
Place a lost dog ad in local newspapers and, if possible, include a photograph. Although generally not free, some newspapers will offer a discounted rate for lost dog ads. Also, read the found dog listings.
Write on Your Car with Window Markers
By using fluorescent window markers, you can use your car, and cars belonging to friends, to spread the word about the missing dog. Using a broad tip marker and multiple colors can make it easier to read. One option is Liquid Chalk Markers. In addition to writing on the back window of the car, attach a photograph of the dog (facing outward) to the inside of the back window, or place the photograph in a clear sleeve and tape it to the outside of the window.
Humane Traps
If the dog has been sighted in an area, but is not approaching close enough to anyone to be "caught," consider using a humane trap such as HavAHart. To make it more likely that the dog will feel comfortable entering it, a towel or blanket can be put inside, and another can be draped over it. Use "smelly" food in the trap to attract the dog.
Pet Detectives and Consultants
Pet detectives provide fee-based, professional services that generally utilize law-enforcement investigative techniques as well as dogs trained in scent trailing to locate missing dogs. Some missing pet consultants are volunteer based or will offer free phone consultations; others are fee-based. Services can be located through internet searches and there are national directories:
Missing Animal Response Technicians - a national directory of MAR (Missing Animal Response) certified technicians maintained by Missing Pet Partnership
Dogs for Adoption or for Sale
Check listings for available dogs; your dog might be found by someone who misses your lost dog publicity and decides to rehome the dog, or surrenders the dog to a shelter/rescue group that is not aware of your lost dog.
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