You can start considering that you lost your dog if he has been missing for more than 24 hours and you already looked for him everywhere in and around the house, walked your entire neighborhood and have already been to the local animal shelter.
Dogs, just as well as other pets, may run away if they have sexual urges, if they are very curious about something that drives them away, if something has frightened them or if gates are left open and they feel like going exploring. Normally, they do not run in a straight line, so most dogs (90%, according to statistics) are recovered sooner or later, during the same day.
So? back to the beginning. Your dog has been missing for more than 24 hours. What can you do?
First of all, draw a circle around your house or the place where you lost your furry friend. The circle should be as big as your dog's potential to run. Check with the people living inside the circle, show them a photo of your dog, and try to involve as many people as possible, by printing up fliers that you can put on local shops, bus stations, intersections and other public area. Make sure you offer rewards.
Find online websites of local rescue centers, as they have updated lists of lost pets and some of them even upload photos of the found animals. You should also consider checking the section of dead pets, as grim as it may sound.
Heading for veterinary clinics is not a bad idea either, especially if your dog wears a special collar or a tag with the vet's information on them. If there are any pet emergency clinics, consider checking them as well, as your dog may have been injured and brought in by someone.
You can also run an advertisement in the local newspaper, but be careful about people who may try to scam you for the reward money. After you have done all of these, it is time to calm down a bit and continue your life while waiting for a call that your beloved pet has been found. In many cases, you will receive that call and you will be reunited with your dog.
Anyway, keep looking, because your dog may survive a lot of time away from home.
What can you do to avoid losing a dog?
- Create an ID tag with the dog's name and your phone number and put it on its collar, or buy a tag with GPS tracking
- Microchip your dog. This is even safer than an ID tag, as it cannot be lost or removed
- Make sure you close the doors and windows, so that your dog cannot escape
- Neuter your pet. This is truly the most responsible thing to do (and not just for fear of losing him because of his sexual urges)
Remember that many lost animals find their way back, so never give up. There are many chances that your furry friend will be back in your arms as soon as possible.
Finding your Lost Cat
We all get devastated when losing our pets. We almost immediately start to panic and no longer think rationally. That is why most people lose precious time in the process of finding their pets. In case you lose your dog, you know that there is a better chance to find him than finding your lost cat. So, how can you find your lost cat?
The first thing you need to know about cats is that most of them do not like to be locked up inside the house. Most of them like to explore their surroundings. For instance, if you have recently moved into a new neighborhood, you might notice your cat missing from home a couple of days. In this situation, there is no need to get worried. Although these animals are known as being quite independent, they are also known for being loyal. In order to find your lost cat, you will need time and patience.
1. Start by putting up flyers in the neighborhood
If your pet has not come home in the past few days, you can start by posting flyers with your missing cat. If someone has found your animal and thought it was a stray cat, they might have decided to keep it. If you make it as public as possible that you are the owner of the pet, then you have higher chances of someone bringing your fur ball back to you.
2. Bait planting
Animals are attracted to certain smells. In order to draw the cat?s attention, you will need to set up a sort of trap. Take an empty box and put in some of your belongings. Set the box near the last place you have seen your cat and give it a few days. According to specialists, when an animal is lost and can sense its owner nearby, it will track down the smell and try to find him. There is a big chance that you will find your pet inside the box soon enough.
3. Familiar places
Cats are known for wandering around. The best thing to do when losing your cat is to search in places that you have seen it before. Local parks are common places for them to stroll around in. Other good places to look for your pet are behind restaurants and dumpsters. If your cat has been missing for days, there is a great chance you will find it in places where it has access to food.
As a preventive measure, in order to avoid all this hard work in case your cat gets lost, there is a very good thing you can do. Just taking it to your vet and getting it micro chipped will save you a lot of time and hassle. And if you know for a fact that you have a wandering pet with a habit of leaving home for days, you can get it a GPS collar. That way, you will know exactly where to look when an unfortunate situation such as this one comes along. The GPS collar will save you the time and trouble of having to search for your furry pal in numerous places.
