CLARKS SUMMIT, PENNSYLVANIA – When a pet goes missing, most pet owners go into a panic. It can be so upsetting that it’s hard to know which way to turn. But there are many things that can be done within the first few hours to make sure a lost pet is reunited with his or her owners.
“One of the first things pet parents can do is distribute posters immediately in the area where the pet was lost,” said Jessica Clark, owner of Rockstar Puppy, a leading online boutique specializing in houses for dog and helmets for pet. “By adding a color photo and a nice reward, more people will take notice.”
Including the pet’s sex, age, weight, breed, color and any unique markings will help distinguish it from other strays.
From the moment a pet becomes lost, it is critical to take action. The ASPCA reports that according to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP), less than two percent of cats and 15 to 20 percent of dogs who are lost are ever reunited with their owners. The vast majority of those who were successfully reunited were identified by a tag, tattoo or microchip.
A simple and stylish way to ensure a lost pet can be identified is by cute id tags. While a tattoo or microchip can be great ways to locate a pet’s owner, a veterinarian or animal control agency must get involved to research the information and trace it to the owner. Information listed on a tag, however, can be easily recognized by just about anybody. With a simple phone call to the listed number, a lost pet can be returned home safely.
No matter if a lost pet has tags or not, remembering the following tips from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) will surely help during the search:
• Contact local animal welfare agencies and file a lost pet report at every shelter within 60 miles of the area in which the pet was lost. Visit the nearby shelters as often as possible.
• Walk or drive through the neighborhood in the morning and evening every day. Choose times when the area is the quietest and call the pet’s name. Leave food and water at the front or back door – whichever the pet is the most familiar with. Ask neighbors and post office employees whether they have seen the lost pet. Distribute posters to anyone who will take one.
• Post “missing pet” notices at grocery stores, community centers, vet hospitals, high-traffic intersections, pet retail locations and dog parks. Place a lost pet ad in local newspapers.
- Review Craigslist postings, online lost pet forums, and the Center for Lost Pets website. Follow up on every reasonable lead.
As HSUS warns, pet owners should avoid pet-recovery scams, which prey on vulnerable owners desperate to find their lost baby. In addition, if someone comes forward claiming to have found the missing pet, ask him or her to describe the pet thoroughly before offering any private information. If the person’s information matches the pet’s description, arrange a meeting place in a public location. Avoid meeting in either party’s home. Until the lost pet is returned home safely, no reward funds should be released.
Though it can be extremely hard to continue searching for weeks or months, HSUS encourages pet owners to continue their searches and not give up. There have been many cases where animals that had been lost for months or even years were reunited with their owners against all odds.
To find the most exclusive, high-end pet items available including designer dog clothing. The coolest pet parents on the planet shop for the most fabulous finds to pamper their pooches at Rockstar Puppy.
