Where, oh where has my little dog gone?
By Paula Kiley-Placko
Freelance Writer and former host of the NY, NJ and PA Missing Pet Network pages.One of your worst nightmares has come true. Your dog is missing! This has never happened before. What do you do?
If you're like most people, the first thing you do is start walking around the neighborhood frantically calling your dog's name. If you're lucky, your pal isn't far away, hears you, and is reunited with the family. But, most don't have this kind of luck. So, what do you do next? There are many things you can do to increase the chances of finding your lost dog. Move fast! The sooner you start, the better your chances.
First, contact every animal shelter, veterinarian, or government agency responsible for picking up stray animals (Dog Law Officers, Animal Control Officers or the like), and radio stations. Give a very specific description of your dog, not just the name of the breed or mix. It's amazing how different people's descriptions of the same dog can be. Indicate colors, size/weight, gender (if male, intact or neutered), distinguishing marks, and, if the dog was wearing a collar, describe it. Don't forget to give the dog's name. A lost dog is usually frightened and will not willingly come to just anyone the way he may at home. Hearing his name can make him feel more comfortable.
After you have made these calls, you need to create a flyer. Don't write too much — the flyer has to catch someone's eye without their having to stop and do a lot of reading. Include the description of your dog, when and where he was lost, and contact information. (Be sure whatever phone number you use will either always have someone there to answer, or an answering machine.) If you have a recent picture and a scanner, get the picture on the flyers. If you don't have access to a scanner, most quick printing services (like Kinko's, Staples or Office Max) will do this for you in a hurry. Another option is to put you original photo on the flyer, then have copies made.
Once you have the flyers, enlist the help of friends and family and begin knocking on doors in your neighborhood, leaving flyers at every one. Distribute flyers to everyone you have called. Place your flyers in every possible location within a twenty mile radius of where your dog was lost. Don't forget the schools. Kids seem to know everything that's going on. Place your flyers at groomers, pet stores, and pet food distributors as well. In grocery stores, ask if you can place the flyers in the pet food aisle. You'll be hitting a good target audience. And don't forget diners and fast food restaurants that have a lot of traffic and a varied clientele.
Place ads in the local newspapers. Sometimes you can get them to run a photo and a little story, especially if it's a smaller, local paper. If your area has "Shopping Guide" type publications (all ads) pay for an ad with a photo. These guides are usually distributed free to a large area.
Talk to postal carriers, garbage collectors, meter readers, and any delivery people who are regularly in the area (UPS, FedEx, etc.) Talk to people who regularly walk their dogs in the area. And, don't forget the police. If you can, speak directly to police officers who may be in the area regularly; this is better than just calling it in to the police station (although you should do that also.) Remember to give everyone a flyer. Contact rescue groups for assistance. If your dog is a pure bred, find a rescue organization for that breed. Your dog may be found and turned over to a rescue because people are aware that dogs taken to a shelter or pound can be euthanized. Rescues don't euthanized. And, they are true dog lovers who will do everything in their power to help you, and have many contacts.
Place your lost dog information on the many lost and found Internet sites including:
Missing Pet Network
http://www.missingpet.net/anlost.htmlHugs for Homeless Animals
http://www.h4ha.org/lostfound/ofta.htmFlealess Market's Lost Pets International
http://www.flealess.org/lostpetsOnce you've done all this, your work is not over. You must go, personally, to the shelters every other day. Don't rely on someone there matching your description with the animals in their care. You'd be amazed how descriptions of the same dog can differ!
Call the veterinarian offices every few days. They, too, are very busy, and unless it is your regular veterinarian who would be likely to recognize your dog, they fall under the same limitations as the shelters in matching up descriptions with dogs.
Most importantly, DON'T GIVE UP! Your dog may have been taken in by a kind hearted person who just hasn't seen your flyers yet. Or, your dog may be hiding out of fear. Continue to recheck areas you have already checked, and talk to people to whom you have already talked. Be relentless.
I must tell you of a personal experience with a lost cat that should give everyone looking for a lost pet encouragement and hope. Several years ago a man and woman came to my door with a flyer bearing the picture of their domestic short hair tabby cat, Buster. Buster had been missing for about a month, and looked like every other tabby cat. These folks lived about 5 miles away from me, but they were covering the area with flyers. Several days later, I was driving through a wooded area on my way home from shopping and there was a tabby cat running along the shoulder of the road — going the other way. By the time I pulled over he had broadened the distance between us considerably. I knew I couldn't catch up with him, so I shouted, "Are you Buster?" The little guy screeched to a halt, spun around, and ran to me at full tilt. I took him in the car and went about the business of trying to remember where Buster's family lived. It took a while, but I found the area, asked a teenager I passed if she knew of someone looking for their lost cat, and she directed me to a home a few blocks away. I appeared at the door holding the cat (hoping it was, indeed, Buster, and I had the right house!) When the woman came to the door she burst into tears of joy. It was Buster!
Buster was reunited with his family because they never gave up, blanketed the area with their flyers, and just happened to hit that one animal lover who would remember their beloved pet. You can have the same luck. And now, stop reading this article for a moment, go hug your dog, and hope you never have to use any of the tips outlined here.
But, don't forget to come back!
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First published in DogStar's Monthly Galaxy - February 2000 - Vol:1 Iss:2, February 6, 2000