Find a Lost Pet
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The author of the
following article is Julie Atkinson,
meowtrageous2@comcast.net. It stemmed from her attempts to
locate her lost cats and quite frankly, it is one of the most
comprehensive list of things to do when a pet is lost OR found
that this webmaster has ever seen. Julie graciously agreed to my
request to share it with others. Some of you may have already
seen this, but for those who haven't, it truly is a keeper and
an extraordinary public service. Julie has given permission to cross-post and forward this article so that others may benefit from it. Please do. |
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12 Steps to
Better Your Chances of Finding Your Pet
Step One
-
Search your property thoroughly
and the property of the homes on either side of your home. Cats, small
dogs, and other types of small pets can get into some pretty strange
places.
* You need to look in EVERY
nook and cranny. Don't assume that your pet would never crawl into a
tiny little space or some small hole. In fact, don't assume anything.
Cats especially, because they use their whiskers to determine whether or
not they can go through an opening, plus they have the ability to
collapse their rib cage in order to slink into a very small space. So,
for cat owners, think about the measurement or length between the left
and right side ends of your cat's whiskers, it will probably be
somewhere around 6 inches. While conducting your search, be sure to
check any opening that is 6 inches wide because your cat could very well
have gone through an opening of this size.
* Look behind, under, and
inside washing machines, clothes dryers, stoves, refrigerators, and dish
washers. Check behind water heaters, under furniture, in closets, in
cabinets, on shelves and in bookcases, in drain pipes, in sewer drains,
in boxes, in culvert pipes, under vehicles, look through the crawl
spaces under the house, inside sheds and barns, and especially under
decks. Even if the deck in your back yard sits right on the ground, if
there is an opening that is at least 6 inches wide then your pet may
have been able to crawl underneath. We actually pulled up several boards
of the deck in our backyard, stuck a flash light and a camera down
through the holes and took pictures of the entire area underneath our
deck. In the case of cats, also look in attic crawl spaces, on the roof,
in roof gutters, and up in the trees.
Step Two
-
Walk around your neighborhood,
talk to everybody, and leave your phone number and a picture of your pet
with everyone that you come into contact.
* Go to each house in the area
where your pet was lost and talk to the residents. Write down a
description of your lost pet, or better yet, have flyers ready to hand
out to each person, but whatever you do be sure that you give everyone
your phone number. Leave the information or flyer attached to the front
door, if homeowners do not answer the door.
* Caution - It is against
Federal law to leave flyers or any other un-stamped or un-postmarked
material in someone's mailbox.
* Talk to everybody you run
into. This includes the postman, paperboy, children, parents waiting at
the school bus stop, school crossing guards, neighborhood crime watch
captains, garbage pick-up workers, etc. Give them a written description
(or the Flyer) of your pet and your phone number as well.
* Try to get all the
neighborhood children involved. Kids are great at finding lost pets!
Have a meeting with all of the neighborhood children and invite the
parents to come. The information you give to them can be invaluable.
* At your meeting, ask
everybody if they saw or heard anything unusual in the neighborhood and
carefully write down everything they tell you. This could include
strange vehicles, work crews, people, or activities. Get detailed
descriptions of everything.
* Whenever you set out on foot
to search for your pet, don't travel alone. Take a friend or family
member with you.
* Don't ever give out your full
name or address. Scam artists and other criminals in our society can and
will use this information against you and your family. Remember, it is
never a good idea to publicize this information no matter what the
reason may be.
* Offer a reward, but don't
state the amount.
Step Three
-
Make some noise while you walk
around the neighborhood! Animals can hear you from great distances.
* Have your family members call
the pet's name where ever they may go.
* If your pet has a favorite
"toy" that has a bell or makes a sound, bring it along and use it to
help you make familiar noises.
* Use a "Dog Whistle" to get
your pet's attention. The high-pitched sound from these whistles can
carry up to a mile or more. Cats are attracted to this sound as well as
dogs. ( Note: this whistle is the "silent" ultrasonic type, but has a
simple adjustment that lowers the tone into the human audible range. Use
this audible tone when searching for your pet because the sound will
carry farther).
* Carry a box or can of your
pet's favorite biscuits, chews, or other treats and rattle it loudly
while calling your pet's name.
* Make any other noises that
your pet may be familiar with.
* It's also important to stop
regularly, be quiet, and listen for your pet to make a noise in reply.
* The neighbors will think
you're crazy, but hey, this is your pet's life we're talking about here!
Step Four
-
Bring a powerful flashlight
(even during daylight hours) for checking in dark spaces.
* A frightened or injured
animal will hide in dark spaces and will not come to you.
* Use your flashlight for
checking under houses and other dark spots. Also check storage sheds,
garages, dumpsters, trash cans, and under cars. Don't forget to look in
trees for a cats and other pets that access tree tops.
Step Five
-
Place strong-scented articles
outside your home to attract your pet. Animals find their way by scent
as well as sound.
* Place some of your dirty
clothes outdoors. Sweaty gym socks and jogging suits are great for this!
* Place a cat's litterbox,
bedding, and favorite toys outside.
* Place a dog's bedding and
favorite toys outside.
* Put out some smelly food such
as tuna, sardines, or warm, freshly cooked chicken, liver, or other
savory meat. Be sure to protect the food if you can, so that other
animals don't eat it!
* If it's warm weather, crate
other family pets and place them outside in a SAFE and SECURE area.
Step Six
-
Call local veterinarian offices
during the day. After 5 PM, call veterinarian emergency clinics.
* Find out if your pet was
injured and taken to any of these offices or clinics for treatment.
* If an office has taken in or
treated any animal that even remotely resembles your pet, VISIT THE
OFFICE IN PERSON. Your description of your pet and their description of
the same pet rarely match. YOU MUST GO SEE FOR YOURSELF!
* Also ask them for the phone
numbers of local rescue organizations. They generally keep a list and
may even work with them.
* Call each of the rescue
organizations and ask for their help and find out if they have your pet.
These groups generally network with each other and will pass the word
about your case.
* Be sure to leave a flyer with
each of the veterinary offices you visit. If you don't physically visit
each office then send them a packet containing all of the information
pertaining to your pet, especially any significant medical history that
may help them to identify your pet.
Step Seven
-
VISIT your local Animal
Control, humane societies, and animal shelters, including the ones in
surrounding areas.
* You must actually visit the
animal control and humane shelters every day or two. It works well if
several family members can take turns visiting the shelters.
* Your description of your pet
and their description rarely match. YOU MUST GO LOOK ! Be sure to check
all areas of the shelter, including the infirmary. Also be aware that
dogs may be housed in the cat section and vice-versa.
* Leave a picture of your pet
and your phone number at each shelter. Befriend the workers at the
shelter, you get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.
* Find out the holding period
of each animal control and humane shelter. Be aware of how much time you
have to claim your pet before it is euthanized!
* Government Animal Control
agencies usually keep an animal for only 3 - 4 days and then they either
adopt it out or kill it. You only get one chance at this. Be there!
Step Eight
-
Ask Animal Control, humane
societies, and shelters about pet rescue organizations in your area.
* Usually there are many small
pet rescue groups that work with the local humane shelter. They often
take pets from the shelter to save them from euthanasia and adopt them
out to new homes.
* Call the rescue groups
regularly to see if they have your pet. Ask to visit their foster homes
so that you can check for your pet in person.
Step Nine
-
Find out if your pet has been
killed on the road. (DOA reports are usually available at the Animal
Shelter front desks)
* This is a very sad but
necessary task. Otherwise, you may never know what happened to your pet
and it could haunt you for years.
* The road crews for your local
and state Department of Transportation will usually pick up dead
animals from the highways and freeways. The Animal Control Department is
usually responsible for roads and city streets. You have to call around
and find out which agencies do this service in your area. Be sure to
find them all!
* Dogs are usually picked up
within 24 hours, but cats and other animals often are not.
* Call the city, county, and
state road crews, and Animal Control EVERY DAY to see if they have found
your pet's body. The Animal Services Department will usually have a DOA
list available for public viewing, if so, you can check while your
visiting the shelter to look for your pet.
* If any of the agencies do not
cooperate with your efforts, contact City Hall as a last resort and
complain. This usually gets a response. But remember, you will get
better results with courteous personal visits.
* If your pet is wearing an ID
tag, the DOT and/or Animal Control agencies should contact you if they
find your pet dead along the road. But don't count on it. You must put
forth the effort to find out for yourself!
* Sadly, this section has a
higher "find" rate than anything else except posted flyers.
Step Ten
-
It is extremely important to
post as MANY flyers as you can about your lost pet.
* From the point where your pet
was last seen, place your posters within:
* a
6-mile radius for cats
* a
20-mile radius for dogs
* If you receive a call from
someone stating that they saw your pet near his or her home or business,
it will be extremely difficult to physically "hang around" this person's
house or place of business, however you do have other options. You can
send your flyers directly to homes and/or businesses via the US Postal
Service. This can be costly but it could provide you with more sighting
information. Here's how you go about this process.
* You will need to have at
least 500 flyers for each area that you decide to do a "mailing." They
do not have to be color flyers, black and white will suffice for this
purpose. To save some time, have the printer or copying service tri-fold
the flyers for you; this costs about 3 cents per copy.
Title companies generally
maintain current lists of the names and addresses of each homeowner in
each housing subdivision in your city or town. You can purchase these
subdivision databases for a minimal fee of about twenty dollars per
subdivision. Call the local title companies in your town and ask if you
can purchase the database for "Country Meadows Estates" or whatever the
name is of the subdivision where the sighting of your pet occurred. Ask
them to send the database via email. This way you should be able to
convert or transfer the information into one of your database programs
on your computer, such as Excel. Using the database program on your
computer you should be able to print mailing labels for each homeowner
in that particular subdivision. If you don't want to generate the labels
yourself, the title companies can provide you with mailing labels but
the there is an added cost for this service. Affix the labels to your
flyers and check with your Post Office for the proper method of sealing
the flyers. Do not send your flyers "Bulk Mail" as many post offices
only send out Bulk Mail at specific times of the month. Time is of the
essence and you cannot risk waiting for your flyers to be delivered on
Bulk Mail delivery days.
* Overall, flyers or posters
produce more "finds" than anything else. But don't neglect the rest of
the tips!
* Your budget will determine
how many flyers you can afford to post, but the more the better.
Step Eleven
-
HERE IS THE TYPE OF INFORMATION
THAT SHOULD and SHOULD NOT BE ON YOUR FLYER
* If possible, it is best to
place a color photo of your pet on each flyer.
* Use 8-1/2" X 11" fluorescent
paper for high visibility.
* List the date and place your
pet was lost, breed of dog or cat, sex, age, weight, color, markings,
and your telephone number.
* Offer a reward , but don't
state the amount.
* Do not put your full name or
address on the flyer, just your phone number.
* It is very important to
always withhold several identifying marks and
* Post the flyers on telephone
or street light poles, at a level as far above your head as possible, as
there are those that find it amusing to destroy posters of this type. By
placing the posters as high as possible you will most likely discourage
anyone from attempting to destroy your poster. Take a small step stool
or ladder with you when you are placing the posters on telephone and
light poles. If it is during the winter or rainy season, put your
posters in "top loading plastic pages", however, you will want the
opening to be at the bottom. This way you can prevent (AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE) the ink from running due to the moisture in the air. Be sure
to use wide clear tape. Packing tape works very well and it is stickier
than most other tapes. Tape all four sides of the poster, so that
someone cannot simply stick a finger or a stick under an edge of your
poster and rip it down.
Taking these extra measures
when posting your flyer will give your poster a much better chance of
remaining in its spot for an adequate length of time. If anyone thinks
about ripping down your poster, he or she will to have to through as
much effort to take it down as you did putting it up. All other posters
can be placed at eye level, such places as veterinary offices, pet
shops, barber & beauty shops, grocery stores, community bulletin boards,
churches, pizza parlors, laundromats, convenience stores, near schools,
and on school bulletin boards.
* Examine your posted flyers
frequently and replace the ones that are missing or damaged.
Step Twelve
-
Place an ad in your local
newspaper and/or an Internet Lost and Found web site. Some will do this
for free, but most of the time those that are placing Lost Ads have to
pay. It is generally only free to those that are placing Found Ads.
* Be sure to advertise in the
Sunday edition as well as during the week.
* Also place an ad in any
"Penny Saver" type of publications you might have in your area.
* Check the Lost and Found
section of the newspaper everyday.
* Most newspapers provide free
ads to people who have found lost pets.
* Also check regularly in any
other local publications.
* Don't ever give up! Pets have
been known to find their way back home after being lost for several
months. Good luck!
Respond to All Sightings
if at all possible, respond to every
sighting in person. Here's why:
* There have been numerous
instances where the lost pet's physical description has changed slightly
from when the animal was in the care of its original owner. For
instance; let's say your dog was not wearing a collar or I.D. tags and
you receive a call from someone who believes they have seen your dog.
You discuss the physical description of your dog with the caller and
everything matches except for the fact that the dog they found was
wearing a collar or I.D. tags. Do not immediately assume that the dog is
not yours because it is wearing a collar and/or I.D. tags and your
* In the case of PET THEFT,
physical characteristics are often altered on purpose. If someone has
stolen your pet, the thief may very well alter certain physical
characteristics so the animal is less likely to resemble it original
appearance in the hopes that if people should see the cat or dog, they
will not be as quick to associate the animal's description with a
description seen on a "Lost Cat" or "Lost Dog" flyer they may have seen
posted in the area.
Pet thieves will also make
every attempt to tear down your "Lost Cat" or "Lost Dog" posters, so pay
attention to posters that are repeatedly torn down or removed. If this
does occur, enlist the aid of homeowner nearby, who can see the flyer
from their place of residence. Ask them to keep an eye on your poster
and tell them to call you immediately if they see someone removing your
poster. Ask them to jot down the following things; a description of the
person or persons, a description of the vehicle and if at possible, to
get the license plate number, the time of day the poster was torn down,
and anything else that strikes them as being unusual or peculiar about
the person(s) or vehicle. If they happen to get a license plate number,
immediately call your local law enforcement and report the incident.
Do not call the police unless
you are able to get the vehicle license plate number; they cannot
provide any assistance to you without this information.
* Below is a list of physical
characteristics that can easily change or alter someone's description of
a found dog or cat and you should not discount any sightings of your pet
based on slight or moderate differences of the following physical
characteristics:
* A) Collars, I.D. Tags, and/or
Leads Discussed earlier.
* B) Cats with claws as opposed
to cats that have been declawed. Obviously, this characteristic can only
be changed from one perspective. If your cat had its front claws, there
is a possibility, especially if your cat has been missing for a number
of months, that someone could have gone to the expense of removing your
cats front claws. This is an expensive procedure, and the odds are less
likely that someone would put forth the expense to purposefully keep the
cat from being returned to its original owner. The changing of this
characteristic would more likely occur if your cat was found by someone
who decided to "adopt" the "stray cat" into his or her home. So, you
should not rule out a sighting of your cat based solely on the condition
of "claws vs. no claws."
* C) Hair and Grooming.
Changing this facet of a pet's appearance is the easiest to achieve and
generally tends to have the greatest overall effect. Here again, this
characteristic can only be changed from one perspective. Obviously pets
with short hair can not be made to instantly grow long hair. However,
those pets with medium to long hair can go through a dramatic change of
appearance simply through the use of specific hair cutting and grooming
techniques. You would be surprised just how much you can change the
outward appearance of an animal even if it is with a simple hair cut or
shave. So, again, do not rule out sightings based on characteristics
involving hair length or grooming. It is always "better to be safe than
sorry" and check out every sighting in person.
* D) Intact, Spayed, or
Neutered. For those of you whose pet's sexual organs were "intact" at
the time of their disappearance, several things may have occurred.
First of all, shame on you!
Unless you are a registered breeder, there is absolutely no justifiable
reason for your pet not to be spay or neutered.
Secondly, there are many
people out there who when they see a cat or dog roaming the streets
freely and the cat or dog has not been spayed or neutered, immediately
assume that the animal has been abandoned or that the animal is
homeless. Why, you ask? Because in the minds of many people who have
chosen to volunteer for agencies involved in animal rescue, it is very
common for animals that are found roaming the streets, still "intact",
to be immediately scooped up by rescuers and immediately taken into a
veterinary clinic for spay and neuter surgery.
These rescuers are in a
constant battle, fighting to keep thousands upon thousands of animals
from being euthanized, all because of unwanted litters that are born
everyday. Many times these young defenseless animals are turned out into
the streets to fend for themselves because the owner doesn't want the
responsibility of finding homes for new arrivals. This chain reaction is
primarily a direct result of pet owners who have failed in their civic
and moral responsibility of having their pets spayed or neutered. For
many of these rescuers, the thought of someone not spaying or neutering
their pet and then letting the pet roam freely outside, says only one
thing to them. The pet owner is not acting responsibly for the safety of
the animal and they feel it is their duty to ensure that these animals
receive the proper medical treatment. Often they will schedule immediate
spay and neuter procedures for these animals. If your lost pet is
unaltered, the likelihood of your pet suddenly becoming spayed or
neutered is actually very high. The longer your animal remains on the
loose, the chances that your pet will retain its unaltered status, is
not
* E) Ask the finder to take a
photograph of the animal, especially if the traveling distance to the
finder's home requires you to go out of your way to make traveling
plans, i.e., a round-trip drive that may take you longer than 3
hours to complete. The finder should understand your dilemma and attempt
to provide you with some means of seeing the animal before you go
through the trouble of making extensive traveling plans in order to see
the animal in person. And NEVER GO ALONE!
A Few Words Of Caution
There are dangerous people in
our society who prey upon victims by using "found" pets as a ploy.
* NEVER respond to a "found"
pet contact alone. Take a friend or two along with you.
* Arrange to meet in a public
place.
* NEVER invite the person to
your home unless you happen to know him or her well.
Beware of money scams. A common
one is a person calls you claiming to be a long-haul trucker. He says he
picked up your pet and is out of state now. He heard about your ad,
flyer, etc. and says he will return your pet if you will pay to ship it
home. This person does not have your pet, he is only trying to take your
money. Don't wander around looking for your pet alone, either during the
day or at night. Always bring a friend or relative. This is especially
important in unfamiliar neighborhoods. Use the identifying information
you have withheld about your pet. Please remember that you should never
give out all of the identifying features of your lost pet. If the person
who claims to have found your pet cannot describe these features to you,
he or she does not have your pet!
When You
Find Your Pet
Go around and collect up all of
your old flyers. Thank everybody who has helped you. Let us know! We are
always glad to hear about lost and found "success" stories.
How To Protect Your Pets Now
Safeguard your pets before they
are lost by following the common-sense tips below. Pet-proof your yard
fence so your cat or dog will be safely confined. Be sure to check your
fence regularly for new escape routes. Keep fence gates securely locked.
This is for the safety of both your pet and any visitors (wanted or
unwanted). Never allow your pets to roam free in the neighborhood. Leash
them at all times. Always transport a cat in a carrier. Never take your
cat to the vet or anywhere else unless it is secured. A carried cat can
bolt and hide if frightened by loud noises. When a cat is frightened in
strange surroundings, especially with traffic noise around, it will hide
and will not come to you. The same goes for dogs. Always leash them when
taking them anywhere. If a dog gets loose in an unfamiliar area its
chances of ever finding its way home are practically impossible.
Get some good photos of your
pet now, before it's too late.
* Take close-up shots so that
details show up well.
* Keep taking shots until you
get a few good ones that really look like your pet. Most snapshots of
pets look like any other cat or dog. You want your photos to be unique
and your pet to be unmistakable.
* These photos will be
invaluable to you later if your pet is ever lost.
Train your pet (cat or dog) to
associate a "Dog Whistle" with pleasant things. Blow the whistle each
time just before you feed them. They will then be more likely to come
running to you when you use the whistle to find them when they are lost.
Ensure that YOU can be
located if your pet is found.
* Always keep a collar on your
pet with a tag that has your CURRENT
PHONE NUMBER on it.
* Always have a CURRENT rabies
tag and pet license tag attached to your pet's collar. You can be found
by the number on the tags.
* A collar and phone tag are
the most important form of ID you can have for your pet.
* Microchips are fast becoming
the best form of ID for all domestic pets.
See Below.
* Talk to your vet about a
microchip implant. A chip provides positive and reliable identification
for your pet and all modern shelters scan animals for this ID device.
Find out which brand of chip is prevalent in your area and go with that
one. If you have a choice, we like the HomeAgain microchips.
* HomeAgain microchip is
distributed by Schering-Plough Animal Health. The American Kennel Club
maintains a nationwide database of these microchip numbers. The chip is
constructed in a way that tends to prevent migration from the injection
site. Call (800)234-6373 to find a Vet near you who offers this product.
* Also ask your vet about pet
tattoos. We don't like tattoos as well as we do microchips, but they
also provide positive identification if done correctly. A tattoo is
often very difficult to read because hair has grown over it and/or the
lost animal is frightened and will not allow inspection. If you do use a
tattoo, we feel that the best place to apply it is on the inner thigh.
Pet thieves have been known to cut off a tattooed ear!
More About Rabies Tags
* It is absolutely vital that
your pet have a CURRENT rabies tag on it at all times!
* If a county happens to be
under a "Rabies Alert" or a "Rabies Quarantine" and your pet is picked
up without a current rabies tag, they WILL kill your loved one! It's a
public health issue, so you will have no recourse.
And Finally, Please Spay or
Neuter Your Pets!
* Both males and females will
be much less likely to wander if they are "fixed."
* An added benefit is that they
will live a longer, happier, healthier life if they are spayed or
neutered.
The Other Side
of the Story - Finding a Lost Animal
There is one more thing that I
would like to ask everyone to do. I would really like for people
to start spreading the word about the other half of this plight and that
is to report any and all found pets. We, as humans, tend to assume
way too much about the pets we find wandering our streets. We assume
that they were abandoned, or that they are homeless, or that they have
been abused just because they look unkempt or are injured. We take
these animals into our homes without even thinking that there
might people out there who are looking for these animals. We fail to
realize that we may be causing a tremendous amount of pain and anguish
for the owners of these animals simply because we do not take the time
to do our part by conducting an all-out effort to find the owners of
these animals. We just assume they need homes and when this
happens, and it happens more than you could ever imagine, the animal
ends up being lost forever.
After going through this
terribly painful experience, I am a very powerful and very vocal
advocate towards educating our communities about the legal and moral
responsibilities that everyone is obligated to perform when finding a
pet. I guess if there was any one particular message that I would
like to see being spread even further than the information in the
article, it would have be the message to please educate everyone you
know about the responsibilities that go along with finding lost, stray,
homeless, and abandoned animals. If those who found pets would be
as aggressive as those who are searching for their missing pet, I
guarantee you we could quadruple the amount of reunions occurring
between missing pets and their owners.
AND LAST, BUT NOT LEAST
As you pass along the
information to others, what would make this so gratifying for me, would
be if you tell folks that if they do find their missing pet as a result
of reading this information or if they help someone else find his or her
pet because of the things they learned through reading this article, I
would really love to hear about it. I would love to hear people’s
stories. I would love to know what their situation was and then
what method seemed to work the best for them.
I am thinking of putting together a book regarding the success stories that resulted from pet owners who actually used one or more of these search and recovery techniques. If you could tell everyone that this would mean a great deal to me on a personal level, to know that my cat's disappearance wasn't in vain . . . well, it would just make everything that I have been though worth while if I knew that this information was actually making a difference in peoples lives and in the recovery of their beloved pets.
Thank you for supporting this
effort to educate everyone about the subject of Lost and Found pets.
Julie, meowtrageous2@comcast.net
Footnote: Here are some websites that may be helpful in posting lost and found pets: