How to Find a Lost Dog – Dogster

Although the number of animals that eventually arrive at local shelters and are reunited with their families varies by community, Animals’ best friends surveyed more than 2,000 shelters nationwide and found that by 2021, only 21% of lost dogs will return home.

“It’s horrible. Marc Peralta said there’s a very large percentage of pets that can be returned to their owners that aren’t currently being returned. He’s the program director of Best Friends and has run the facilities. shelter and control animals around the country.

Experts say that while there are many well-functioning, well-meaning lost pet databases, social media and missing pet websites, there doesn’t exist a centralized “official” website that all of them are. shelters, animal welfare agencies and the public use it to report lost and found animals across the country.

“It’s a free category for everyone,” says Marc. “Everybody is independent. It doesn’t work.”

Without a central pet reporting system, your lost dog could be in someone’s home five blocks away or at a nearby community shelter that you may not be aware of.

“It’s frustrating not having a system that everyone uses. There is a gap,” said Jessica Simpson, senior public policy expert from Humane Society of America.

That communication gap can put you at risk of never seeing your dog again. “We had to find better solutions to make it easier for people to find their pets,” says Marc.

Steps to find a lost dog

With the discrete system, if you’re looking for your lost dog, you have to do all you can to find them. Experts say this is how:

Call for support – you will need support. Mobilize a small army quickly.

“Ask your neighbors, social media friends and others for help. There’s a lot of work to be done, said Kat Albrecht-Thiessen, a police officer turned pet detective who runs the organization. Animal feedback network is missing and train people and dogs to find lost pets.

Look for your dog in their favorite places, such as the park, a neighborhood restaurant, or a local snack store.

If your dog is scared, don’t panic when you call them, they will realize it.

“Don’t call them names; sing instead,” Kat said. “It helps people calm down. The dog will still hear you.

• Try food, camera and traps

If your dog runs into the woods or a particular neighborhood, place food and a motion-activated camera. If it takes a picture of your dog, then you know they’re still in the area.

Contact a pet detective or animal control officer to set up a humane trap to capture your dog.

Dogs have a special sense of smell, so leave familiar smells for them to find. Get rid of your scent on your dog’s bed, cage – or your clothes.

“We have seen a lot of cases where the owner was out there for hours looking for the dog. It was dark, they left, and when they came back the next morning, the dog was in the parking lot where they left a crate or blanket,” Kat said.

If your dog ends up at the shelter, you must find them quickly. Some facilities only keep dogs for certain days. If you don’t claim your dog, they may be adopted into a new family or die. “You have to beat the clock,” Jessica said.

Report your lost dog to every veterinary clinic, animal control department, and shelter in your area and surrounding cities or counties. Go to your local shelter every day. Be non-stop.

“You will be more successful in finding your pet if you drive and check (shelter) yourself, rather than just filing a lost report and waiting for the universe to do what it does,” says Marc. must do.

• Notify your dog’s microchip company

Immediately notify your dog’s microchip registry that your dog is lost. Make sure your contact information is up to date in their database. Some companies will help find your dog.

“They will send email notifications to people in the vicinity to highlight the fact that there is an animal missing,” Jessica said.

• Go big with lost dog sign

Do not post flyers. Think big: neon-colored posters 2 feet tall and wide that people can’t miss.

Post them where your dog went missing with just your keyword and phone number.

“Use five words that people can read in five seconds when they are traveling at 55 miles per hour. ‘White poodle. Red collar. Lost.’ Write in big letters,” Kat said.

Kat pointed this out TV show videos as an example people might see a flyer about a lost dog, but not pay attention to it and even pass by the missing dog.

• Turn your car into a mobile billboard

Use a washable marker to write a description of your dog on your window. Add a picture of your dog then drive around.

Have you reliably lost your dog? Is your story engaging? Email the local media with details and ask them to write a story or share about your dog on their website or social media pages.

Post your lost dog on community sites like:

1. Next door
2. Craigslist

Use social media and lost and found pet sites like:

1. FBI Pets
2. Center for Lost Pets
3. Lost American dog
4. Petco Lost Love

If someone says they have your dog, ask them to send pictures to prove it. Be cautious if they ask for money, even if you have already offered a reward.

Repeat the steps above, but instead, search the web for your dog.

Petco Love Lost allows people to search by location. The site also uses facial recognition to match photos of lost pets with found pets and works with more than 1,800 shelters.

The nonprofit hopes to partner and integrate with other missing pet websites and create that one central, free, official reporting site.

“We are determined to make this happen because we know the incredible impact it will have on the lives of our pets,” said the president of Petco Love.