How to find a lost pet
The majority of calls to a humane organization about lost pets concerns cats that have always lived indoors, but have suddenly slipped outside and disappeared. Cats often make a game of trying to outwit their protective human companions - and they escape from the safety of home into the "tantalizing" world beyond the open door. Too late, they realize how threatening the real world is.
Look closest to home first.
Start looking under porches, in basements and in garages. Sometimes cats are locked inside areas which are little used; it's your job to check with neighbors and ask them to open doors that may be keeping your pet confined. Call your pet's name often - and listen for a soft reply.
Once inside a closed-off area, look carefully in boxes or behind stacks of stored items. Cats have been known to hide in the most out-of-the-way place possible within a closet, room or garage - without even meowing to let you know it is there. That's normal for a very frightened animal - and if your cat was never away from home before, it may be too scared to respond to your call. In face, new surroundings can produce great fear in cats - and many people have reported their cats "lost" just after a move to a new house or apartment - only to find the cat days later safely inside, and more adjusted to the new quarters.
If you don't find your lost pet right away, don't give up. Keep going back to the same places, calling its name. It may respond differently a day or two after it was first lost.
Don't expect to find it right away. Some pets have found weeks later, and it's not unusual to find a cat a month or two later, still hiding close to home.
Set up a temporary outdoor pet comfort station.
Look for cats at night
If the last time you saw your pet it was indoors - and no one remembers opening a door or a window - be sure to check your own basement, attic, spare rooms and closets. cats have been found quietly awaiting discovery in a closed dresser drawer - sometimes a couple of days after everyone thought it was missing.
If you live in an apartment, be sure to check the hallways, stairwells, basement, storage closets, laundry rooms and any vacant apartments that may have had a door ajar. Outdoors, don't forget to look in trees, shrubbery, vacant lots, on porches and on roofs.
A dog that is normally walked on a leash may wander to the places you have walked together if it does get lost. Or it may seek similar areas if in an unfamiliar neighborhood - such as parks, playgrounds, grocery stores, etc. and both cats and dogs have been known to try to find their way back to a former residence if the owners have moved.
Ask for help.
Offer a reward.
Post "LOST" signs.
Put a good description and photo of your pet on your signs. Black and white photos will reproduce best, but color photos are generally usable if you don't have a black and white one available. Include where and when the pet was lost and a telephone number where you can be reached. Note: You'll need to reserve at least one identifying mark for positive identification of your pet is found. Dont' put everything in the description. An unscrupulous person may call you on the pretense of finding your pet. If your dog is brown with white paws and a black spot on his nose, and you don't mention the spot on your signs, you can ask a caller if the face has any markings on it - to see if they really have your pet. It's also a good idea to take someone with you if you agree to go to a stranger's house to identify your pet, or arrange to meet the person - with the pet on a leash or in a secure box or carrier - in a public place. After all, you are offering a reward - and a dishonest person may be hoping you have it with you in cash.
To be effective, you must "blanket" your area with "LOST" signs. If you don't have access to a copy machine, you should go to a copy shop or quick print service to have photocopies made. Copies may be as low as five to ten cents apiece - and the price usually drops when quantities increase. It's worth the small charge to have enough signs to reach everyone who lives or works in the area where your pet was lost.
You'll need a minimum of 200 to 500 signs to cover a several block area effectively, including several blocks in each direction from the place where your pet was lost. Ask friends to help you post the signs - on trees and lamp posts; use a stapler on trees, use cellophane or masking take on metal surfaces. Some businesses will also let you put a sign in their window or inside on a wall or community bulletin board. Don't forget to include grocery stores, laundromats, veterinary hospitals, pet shops, and bus stops, as well as other high-traffic areas to reach a lot of people.
Sometimes, other people will actually tear down the signs you have posted. So be sure to recheck the area you've covered often and replace any signs that may have been removed.
Notify humane agencies.
Also notify the city pound. Most such facilities only hold stray animals for a few days before enthanizing them, so be sure to check there in person often. Look in the local telephone directory in the yellow pages under "animal welfare agencies", "animal shelters" and "humane societies". If you are not familiar with the ones in your area. Be sure to ask if any have a lost pet matching service of have any volunteers who live in your area who may wish to help you look for your pet.
Place ads in newspapers.
You should also read the "FOUND" ads in all the local papers, just in case a caring person found your pet and is trying to find YOU. If the description sounds close, call. The same animal could be described in a lot of different ways. "Tabby" or striped cats are hard to describe, for example, because of their mixed color - you may be thinking of your pet as gray striiped and the finder may describe it as "gray, brown and black." A black and white pet may be listed as only black if there is not much white on it.
Your pet needs you
Reprinted with permission
Animal Care Home Page
|
