by Brenda Nelson

Created on: March 07, 2009

It can be pretty scary when a pet goes missing. Many owners panic and do not know what to do. Worse, is when they wait too long for the pet to come home on its own before doing anything. The key to getting your pet back safely is to act fast, and do all you can to find it.

The first thing you need to do is walk around the block. You want to establish that the pet really is missing and has not been hit by a vehicle and is lying on the side of the road somewhere. If you have a bicycle, this is a good, fast, way of covering a lot of ground. Next, call your local shelter, or whoever deals with lost and found pets in your area. Usually this is the SPCA, a city pound, or a Humane Society. If you do not know who to call, phone your veterinarian. Also call your city by-law department in case they picked up your pet.

Always call the animal shelter within 24 hours of your pets disappearance. Many shelters have a 72 hour policy, meaning if your pet is not tattooed or microchipped, they only have to hold it for 72 hours before it is considered to be their property, and they can euthanize it or put it for adoption after that. This also applies to injured animals. They cannot even treat a suffering injured animal for 72 hours without an owners consent.

If you have not heard back in 24 hours to go the shelter and look at the lost pets they have, it is possible they have your pet but your description and theirs are different, or they are too busy to check properly. Bring a photo they can attach to your report.

You also want to check your area again. Call for the pet, and listen. It is not uncommon for a cat or dog to get itself locked in somebodies garage or shed. Ask your neighbors to be aware of your missing pet. Put posters up, us pictures, and offer a reward. Call the local radio stations, in some areas they will put this on air or many have a recording you can listen to.

Put an ad in the newspaper. Most newspapers have a free listing in the classifieds for lost and found pets, but even if you have to pay for an ad it will be worth it. How you write newspaper ad is very important. The name of the pet wont help identify it, and if it is not a commonly known breed that wont help either, so you are best to give a basic description. Say "a multi colored long haired cat", rather than saying a Persian Calico. Make sure you include your phone number, if you can afford to have a photo included in the ad, that may help as well.

WHAT NEXT?
Most lost pets are recovered in the first two weeks, but it is not unusual for one to be recovered after several months. Call the shelter once a week, or go in and check again. It is possible somebody has taken in your pet thinking it was a stray. In most places this is actually a crime and can be considered theft, however, this is not a fact many people know. When a pet is found people may keep it, but they MUST report finding it so you have a chance to retrieve it. I would allow at least three months before giving up hope. Also do not discount that somebody may have taken your pet and dropped it far away. As such if you get a call about a pet matching your description, but from the other side of town, do not discount it.

When you do recover your pet, remove all posters, and call the shelter to remove your lost pet file. Take precautions so your pet does not go missing again. Get identification on the pet. A collar is easy to spot and gives people an idea that the pet is owned. Tattoos are another good identification tool. Microchips are gaining popularity but, as they are not visible, you should also have a collar on your pet. Take several accurate photos of your pet so you can use in the event he or she goes missing again.

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