Lost Dog Or Pet - What To Do

As an Animal Control Officer I get very upset with pet owners, especially dog owners who do not take the necessary precautions to protect their pets from becoming lost. I would say that 95% of the pets that we have impounded have no identification tags, no micro chip and are not claimed. Someone loved this pet once.......so why are they not searching for them? Is it because they have no idea how to go about it?

I have dog owners who have discovered their pet missing and within a few hours are calling Animal Control for help. These are pet owners who really love their pet! The sooner the call the better chance of finding the pet.

I had a dog owner who called yesterday, November 6th looking for his Collie Mix that he had lost out in the remote desert of our county. He was panicked! I took down the description of the dog and then asked him when he lost it.....October 11th he replied. I had to bite my tongue....Even if the dog had been found and taken to an animal shelter the holding period can be from 3 working days (which is Utah State Law) to 7 days, far less than the time the dog has been lost so the dog is either adopted out or euthanized by now. He claimed the dog had a collar and a tag with phone number information on it. Well....tags come off so since he has not received a call about his dog being found than either the tag came off, someone took it off and is keeping the dog as their own or the poor dog is laying dead somewhere.I know this sounds cruel but it is a fact.

How can you prevent this from happening to you? Always be in control of your dog! You need to know where it is at all times. Keep a leash on it when traveling. I know you would like to see the dog have some freedom and fun and get some exercise but I have seen so many dog owners who have taken their dogs camping or for runs in the hills and just let them run unsupervised and all it takes is that one time when the dog does not come back. Do you want to take that chance and be looking for your dog for days, weeks or maybe months wondering if it is laying hurt or dead or in a shelter waiting for you to come and find them? Some are found but more are not....leaving the families in anguish over their lost pet.

First thing to do is get your pet micro chipped! This is a small, inexpensive device that is implanted between the shoulder blades of the pet just under the skin. All shelters should have a hand held micro chip reader that scans the pet and this picks up the information that is in the chip that can identify the owner. All veterinarians offer this micro chipping service. Of course, if someone decides to keep your pet then the micro chip will only be scanned if the pet becomes lost again and ends up in a shelter or a veterinarians office and then you would be notified because of the micro chip identification.

Next, of course, is a proper collar with identification tags. Never put your pet's name on the tag! A pet's name on the tag helps the finder if they wish to keep the pet for their own, why make it easy for them. Proper identification at least lets the finder know that this pet has an owner and it is not abandoned.

Contact Animal Control as soon as possible when your pet becomes lost and always have a really good picture of your pet to give them for identification.

Make flyers with the picture of your pet and put them everywhere you possibly can. The more eyes and ears out in the public that know about your lost pet makes it easier to find. I have had people who have found a lost pet and refused to call "the big bad dog catcher" for fear that the dog will be immediately euthanized (which by the way does not happen) so they keep the dog and watch for flyers or they advertise the found dog themselves. No flyers means no owner so they keep it.

Go on the internet to Petfinder.com. this great website lists all animal shelters and rescue groups and you can put in your location or state. They have pictures of pets so you will have to search all the shelters in your area and it will also have addresses, phone numbers and sometimes email addresses. Do not be afraid to call these shelters or rescue groups with the pets description and send them a picture of your pet. Again, more eyes and ears to help.

Put your pets pic and info on the internet on the many "Lost Pet" websites and check the "Found Pet" sections as well. Use the free classifieds in your local area. Here in our area we have KSL channel 5 which is a television station that has a website for classifieds. Many people have posted lost and found pets on those. Fidofinder.com is another good one.

Your pet could be anywhere! I have had lost pets found in shelters as far away as 250 miles. I have had a pet that was picked up off the freeway in our area and taken back east, thousands of miles away before they called the pet owner. The finder was looking to make some money and was holding the dog in hopes that the pet's owner would pay them money to get it back. Luckily the pet owner had caller id and followed up on the number with law enforcement and they caught the people and arrangements were made to have the dog flown back to the owners.

Time is of the essence! Don't wait too long before getting the word out and pictures of your lost pet. As an animal control officer I wish more pet owners would take identification more seriously.

The shelters are full of lost pets, abandoned pets and pets that have been relinquished. Spaying and neutering can help alleviate some of the overcrowding. Don't abandon your pets, go that extra step and get them to a rescue where they have a chance at a new life. Getting a pet is a life long commitment and expensive so make sure you do everything in your power to keep your pet safe and happy.

I hope this information helps you. Our goal is to save pets lives and reunite them with their owners. Help us so we can help you and your pet!