Who let the dogs out? How to find your lost pet

Over the past year, more than 600 dogs, cats, and rabbits have been brought to our shelter as strays. Sadly, a majority of them are never reunited with their families. Although none of us want to imagine our beloved pets becoming lost, having a plan in place will greatly increase your chances of finding your best friend.
Microchip your pet
The best way to improve your chances of finding your pet starts even before they are lost. Every dog and cat that gets adopted from our shelter is microchipped. These tiny chips, which are implanted under the skin of the animal, can be scanned at any shelter or vet office and, much like an ID tag on a collar, provide your contact information should your pet ever go missing. Unlike collars, microchips last a lifetime and will never fall off your pet. As long as your register your pet’s microchip, reuniting a lost microchipped pet with its owner is quick and easy!

Start searching immediately
When it comes to reporting your pet as lost, there is no such thing as “too soon.” Don’t wait a week hoping Fluffy will turn up on your porch one morning. Report your pet as lost to the police right away and alert all the shelters and vet offices in the area. Make posters, use Facebook, and ask your friends to help you search and spread the word. The more people you can involve, the better.

Widen your search radius
One of the biggest mistakes people make when searching for their lost pet is not widening their search to include more towns. Animals can travel great distances in a short amount of time. Reach out to animal shelters and vet offices outside of your town and keep checking in with them.

Find a decent picture of your pet
We receive countless lost animal reports each week and many of them have one thing in common: they include a photo of a black animal on a dark background that looks like a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy. While it’s great that you want to include your favorite photo of your cat sleeping in a pile of clothes, it’s virtually impossible for us to see what your pet looks like, let alone match it to one of the stray animals in our care. Use a clear photo of your pet where their face is visible. If your pet has any distinguishing marks, make sure to note them.

Help your pet find home
Your pet may be looking for you just as hard as you’re looking him! Animals rely on their sense of smell, so give them some familiar scents to help guide them home. Go through your laundry pile to find some clothing that smells like you (make sure it’s something you’ve worn, not something you recently washed) then put your clothes outside. If your pet is nearby, they can follow your scent home.

Don’t give up
Nobody knows your pet better than you, so stop by the local shelters in person to look for them. Even with a clear photograph, the staff might not be able to match a stray animal to their picture. Don’t give up after just one visit! Remember: your pet may not be at the shelter today, but someone may bring them in tomorrow! 

Alaina Goodnough is the Promotions Coordinator at Cocheco Valley Humane Society in Dover, N.H. She lives in Sanford, Maine, with two parrots, a cat, and two dachshunds. She can be reached at CVHS at devassist@cvhsonline.org