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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Lost Pets

Recently GDB posted about a lost puppy. In my local paper today there was a letter to the editor about a lost cat that ended up at the shelter and was adopted out. Every day at work I have to let someone know where to look if their dog or cat has gone missing.

Maybe it seems like common sense to me, but one should always start by looking at their local shelter if they have lost their dog or cat. I am sure GDB has notified all the local shelters about missing puppy Gannon, but why is it that pet owners do not know to do the same? Is it a lack of education? Should there be more information about resources for people with lost pets?

Here is my own checklist of what I would do in the event one of my dogs goes missing:
1. Call local shelters. Usually all shelters in my county and neighboring counties. People can be weird about where they take your pet.
2. Contact local Humane Society. Many people don't know about county/city shelters and will take the dog to the Humane Society instead: even if that is a county or two away.
3. Call local vet clinics. Let them know to watch for people who may be bringing in that nice stray they found because they may want to keep it.
4. Contact local radio station (ours will run lost pet ads for free!).
5. Start making fliers with a current picture, vital stats, that they have a microchip (but not the actual number, save that for shelter personnel only) and my contact info (multiple phone #s). Now I would take them to all the places I have contacted initially so there is a visual reminder of the dog I am looking for.
6. Put up fliers around area the dog was last seen. Also put them up on community boards at pet stores, grocery stores, churches, parks, and schools.
7. Post on Internet bulletins and community forums.
8. Keep physically going to the shelters and checking for myself. You never know when your description of a Pyrenees mix looks like a Samoyed to someone else.
9. Keep hoping and searching: there have been cases of some dogs being returned to their owners after months of separation.

4 comments:

Becky Andrews said...

That's a great list. Thank you (hope never need it right). Hoping Gannon is back safely soon.

Katrin said...

I would do all of that minus putting the tattoo # or microchip # on the lost papers that I put up. I have heard of unscrupulus people calling the microchip company and changing the found pets info all over to their own and then claiming the dog is theirs from the get go. To change info with a microchip company all you need is the dogs ID # and a credit card. I have on my dog's ID tag that he is microchipped but I do not put the chip ID on the tag or have him wear the ID tag that came with the chip.

Sarah and the Pack. said...

Thank you Katrin! I have changed the list to reflect that!

Infrequent Flyers said...

Last night, I dreamed that Cabana ran out our front door and dashed off down the street. I chased her, but she was nowhere to be found. I was so worried that she had gone into heat at that moment and was going to get impregnated! When I woke up, I was like, phew, it was just a dream!! I was so relieved.

I guess all the posts about Gannon got my mind in a dither! Thank you for your list. Hopefully, I will incorporate those steps in my next bad dream!