by Cheryl Kottke

Created on: August 13, 2009   Last Updated: August 14, 2009

Losing a pet is one of the most heart wrenching events a pet owner can experience. When you lose a pet, you want and need to find them as soon as possible. What are some of the best ways to find your pet when you lose it?

Identification tags: A collar and tag with your name, address, and phone number. Hartz sells these at inexpensive prices or you can buy them through most veterinarians. Also, microchips are inexpensive. Most shelters and veterinarians have the scanners.

Search your neighborhood. Scan the neighborhood, maybe someone has seen your pet. If you walk your pet over a familiar route, check that first. Most dogs will wander along the same route they are accustomed too. Where would your pet wander off too? Sometimes a pet has a favorite place it likes go too. Ask neighbors if they have seen your pet and leave your contact information with them.

Check local shelters and veterinarians. File a missing pet report with every agency including veterinarians for a fifty or sixty mile radius. Also, file with the local animal control. Check back with them every other day. They may find your pet and not realize it's yours. Also, a picture is always the best way of identifying your pet so leave pictures with them.

Advertise. Hand out flyers. Post flyers with pictures in laundry mats, grocery stores, gasoline stations, veterinarian offices, pet shelters, and anywhere else you can think of. Also, put an advertisement in the local newspapers offering a reward.

Go online. List your pet on several websites. Some list missing pets by state. Try social networking websites like Facebook and Myspace. List on Craigslist.com and www.lostandpound.com. If you are contacted, ask the caller to describe the pet before giving out any personal information or offering any rewards. LostandPound.com lists current scams reported recently but don't think that is the only scams out there. If someone contacts you to say they have found your pet, do not give any monetary reward until you see the pet. Anybody who really has your pet will be willing to let you see them before you give them a reward of any kind. Lostandpound.com also has a list of members within a 45 mile radius of your zip code. Contact each one of these personally.

Hopefully you will never lose a pet, but if you do, these tips will help find and bring it home as soon as possible.

Learn more about this author, Cheryl Kottke.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.