Getting the word out early is the key to getting your dog or cat back safe and soundly. Don’t assume your pet will return on his or her own in a few hours. And don’t wait around. As soon as you are aware that your pet is missing, GET THE WORD OUT.
Make posters
Create physical posters and hang them within a couple miles’ radius of your home. Always include a physical description of your pet and a picture. Make special note of any distinctive coloring, markings, or other features. Include the animal’s name, as it may make it easier for someone to call your pet over and safely capture them to return to you.
Search for your pet by calling their name
Enlist family and friends to canvas the neighborhood, in all directions, on the roads and as the crow flies. Don’t try to predict where your pet could or wouldn’t have gone – YOU NEVER KNOW. The best time to call for your pet is at night and at dawn. If you are calling from your car, drive slowly, roll down all the windows, stop and turn your vehicle off frequently to listen.
Contact local vets and shelters
Call your veterinary hospital and all surrounding animal hospitals, including the emergency animal hospitals. Contact the animal shelter closest to you and all surrounding animal shelters within a 60-mile radius. Don’t simply rely on their information; go to each location if possible and look at all recent animals on a daily basis. Don’t give up hope.
Use social media
Post on your personal social media accounts and ask animal shelters to post on theirs. Use any local “lost and found” websites as an additional resource.
