What To Do If You Lose Your Pet
When your best pal strays from home, it can be a traumatic experience for both of you. Here are some tips that we hope will help you find your pet.
Getting the word out early is the key to getting your dog or cat back safely and soundly. Don't assume your pet will return on his own in a few hours. Don't wait around to see if he'll find his way home. GET THE WORD OUT!
1. As soon as you notice that your pet is missing, search your home carefully—under beds, in closets, dark places, small places, behind bulky furniture—in case your pet may be hiding or sleeping somewhere. Shaking a food dish, treat jar or favorite toy will sometimes lure animals out of a hiding place.
2. If you are sure your pet is not in or around the home, canvas your neighborhood. Ask all neighbors if they’ve seen your pet; be sure to bring along a recent photo to show them. Provide contact information in case they spot your pet. The more you tell, the more support you will get in finding your pet.
3. If your pet is microchipped, contact the company to report your pet lost, and verify your contact information is up to date.
4. Contact Columbia Animal Control at 573-449-1888 and give a detailed description of your lost pet (if you live within Boone County) and your contact information.
5. Contact the Central Missouri Humane Society at 573-443-7387 and report your pet missing if you live within Boone County and surrounding counties. If you are unable to go to the shelter to complete a lost animal report, request to fax the information at 573-875-6155 with a detailed description, photo and contact information. Follow-up with a phone call to be sure they received your information.
6. If you have access to a computer, post under Lost and Found on Craigslist; date, location, detailed description, contact information, and most importantly a photo.
7. On Face Book? Post on Face Book a picture and description and ask all your friends to share to help reunite your family member. Post the information also on, Columbia, Missouri Lost and Found Pets page on face book.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ColumbiaMOLostFoundPaws/
8. Make flyers with photo to hang at entrances and exits of your neighborhood, in your front yard, and near by intersections. Make them plain and simple, remember people will be driving and a large picture with LOST across the top will catch the eye. Add your pet's name followed with contact information.
9. You can also make flyers to place at local grocers, gas stations, every vet office, dog parks, pet stores, and your mail carrier that have tabs across the bottom to tear off with contact information. http://www.petbond.com/flyerentry.php
Why is a photo of your pet so important? Following is a description of a lost pet on Craigslist without a photo.
Lost black lab since Saturday. Shes a big black dog with long hair. She's very friendly and comes to the name Bella. If you have seen her please call xxx-xxx-xxxx
1
Columbia Animal Control picked up the animal and was in holding for 2 days. Her picture was posted on their Lost and Found website page. They described her as a New Foundland mix. Even though the owners had filled out a lost report describing Bella as a long hair black lab at the shelter, the breed names did not match so we assume that is why they were not contacted. A No Kill member saw the post on Craigslist, the picture on the Animal Control website, and gave the owners a call. Miss Bella, a bundle of joy was happily reunited with her family! Tags, microchip, or a picture provided when filling out the report would have hopefully prevented Bella's extended stay.
10. The Central Missouri Humane Society has a Lost and Found page on their website They post pictures and descriptions of the animals caring citizens have brought in as lost or stray. PLEASE check this daily.
http://www.cmhspets.com/lostandfound/. If your pet has been missing for a week or longer also check pets for adoption http://www.cmhspets.com/adoptable-pets/
11. Columbia Animal Control also post pictures and descriptions of the animals they pick-up for their safety. PLEASE check this daily.
http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Health/Animal_Control/ourpets.php
12. Place an ad in the Tribune Lost and Found. 573- 815-1855
13. Place a yard sign in front of your house, with a photo of you missing pet and your phone number. People who find a dog often will walk or drive around the area, trying to find the pet's owner.
14. A new resource is placing a Lost Pet ad on Nextdoor.com.Nextdoor is a private social network for you, your neighbors and community.
15. “On day 12 of searching for my dog in a heavily wooded area, distraught and hopeless, I ran into a couple of hunters. They said they lost the occasional dog on a hunt but always got them back. What they told me has helped many dogs and families be reunited. I’ve given their advice out a few times in the last couple days, so I thought if reddit has any lost dogs out there, this could help:The dog owner(s) should take an article of clothing that has been worn at least all day, the longer the better, so the lost dog can pick up the scent.
Bring the article of clothing to the location where the dog was last seen and leave it there. Also, if the dog has a crate & familiar toy, you can bring those too (unless location undesirable for crate). You might also want to leave a note requesting item(s) not to be moved.
Leave a bowl of water there too, as the dog probably hasn’t had access to any. Do not bring food as this could attract other animals that the dog might avoid.
Come back the next day, or check intermittently if possible. Hopefully the dog will be waiting there.
I was skeptical and doubted my dog would be able to detect an article of clothing if he didn’t hear me calling his name as loud as possible all day for 12 days. But I returned the next day and sure enough found him sitting there!
I hope this helps someone out there who’s missing a best friend. Good luck :)“
Read more at http://www.reshareworthy.com/how-to-find-a-lost-dog/#DyRgL8Id6HFqOYka.99
Remember to start looking immediately. Do not assume that your pet will “come back when he’s ready.” Animal shelters are required to hold stray animals for only five days, after which they may be placed up for adoption, send to a rescue, or killed. Don't give up! Animals that have been lost for weeks and months have been reunited with their owners.
Another step to successfully locating a lost pet is to understand how they behave. "Lost pets do not behave like pets in their own homes. They demonstrate distinct patterns of behavior common in lost dogs and cats, often so different from their usual behaviors that their guardians fail to find them even when nearby." To learn more check out the additional links filled with valuable information!
http://www.maddiesfund.org/Resource_Library/What_You_Dont_Know_About_Lost_Pets_Can_Hurt_Them.html
Why Your Lost Dog May Not Run Back To You, http://nodogaboutit.wordpress.com/2012/11/18/why-your-lost-dog-may-not-run-back-to-you/
Additional information if your indoor cat goes missing! http://catctmq.blogspot.com/2007/10/cat-what-to-do-when-your-indoor-cat-is.html
A pet, even an indoor pet has a better chance of being returned if he/she always wears a collar and an ID tag with your name, address, and telephone number. An additional measure to find your pet is a microchip. A microchip is an identifying integrated circuit placed under the skin of your pet. The chips are about the size of a large grain of rice. This procedure is quick and simple and can be administered at your vets office. Microchips provide an extra level of protection in case your pet loses his collar and tags. Providing your cat or dog with both tags and a microchip can help ensure a happy reunion if the unthinkable happens and your pal gets lost. For more information about microchips go to, http://www.avma.org/issues/microchipping/microchipping_faq.asp
Want to check your microchip to be sure the information is up to date and accurate? http://www.petmicrochiplookup.org/
Remember if your pet is microchipped, keep your contact information up to date!
Proactive Redemptions
One of the most overlooked areas for reducing killing in animal control shelters are lost animal reclaims. Shifting from a passive to a more proactive approach has allowed shelters to return a large percentage of lost animals to their families.
One of the most overlooked areas for reducing killing in animal control shelters are lost animal reclaims. Shifting from a passive to a more proactive approach has allowed shelters to return a large percentage of lost animals to their families.