by Gayle Nastasi

Created on: March 04, 2009

Searching for a Lost Pet With a Focus on Animal Communication

As a professional animal communicator, I've helped with a great number of "missing pet" cases. I wish I could say that most of them have happy endings, but that isn't always the case. Many have, but enough have sad conclusions ... or no conclusions at all ... to make it a very frustrating endeavor. In fact, a lot of animal communicators don't even accept "location work" due to the many problems it entails.

One thing I like to do, however, in addition to trying to contact the animal for clues to its whereabouts, is make sure the owners have done all they can on their end to help get their pet home safely. Here is an extensive check list of suggestions that have helped reunite people with their lost animal friends.

1. Print posters, flyers, and cards with your pet's photo. Your "distributable alerts" should: contain contact numbers, date and time missing, area last seen, and offer a reward. Often small printouts, like business cards, are easier to carry around and hand to people as you go door to door, and more likely to be kept, while the larger items are better for "distance viewing" (bulletin boards, etc).

2. Places to put flyers: indoor community bulletin boards (grocery and convenience stores and post offices and banks, lobbies of apartment buildings), the side rear windows of your car (ask friends to do the same), windows of stores and other places of business (acquire permission and place on the inside facing outward). Look for other sheltered places where the weather can't get to your flyer, as well as the more common spots like sign posts. Find out if it's legal in your neighborhood to put posters on utility poles. Not all places allow it, nor is it usually legal to put flyers in mailboxes.

3. Canvass your neighborhood, putting up flyers and handing cards or flyers to all your neighbors. This means actually knocking on doors and speaking to the neighbors. If you have to leave a card in a door, try to go back to that house later and actually speak to someone. People are much more likely to take interest if they can attach the situation to a face.

4. Talk to and hand photos and contact information to everyone you can, especially delivery men, mailmen, anyone who makes a regular route through your area, and children. Kids almost always notice new dogs or cats wandering a neighborhood. Of course, it's always best to talk to children with their parents or other official caretaker present. Your local

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