Tips To Help You Find Your Lost Pet

Losing a beloved pet is a traumatic experience, and I know from experience. Three days after rescuing my little Nelly from the Toronto Humane Society, I was at my friend's home introducing him to them & their dog when Nelly took it upon himself to squeeze through the tiniest hole in the back of the fenced yard.  We immediately began searching the whole area, to no avail.  I spent the evening searching, calling every resource I could, and laying in bed sleepless. The next morning, as I was postering the neighbourhood with signs, a gentleman just so happened to be postering the same area with "Dog Found" signs. It turns out Nelly had decided to go to a nearby Starbucks and introduce himself to the neighbourhood (I had gone to that same Starbucks but my timing was off). Thankfully, a helpful couple took Nelly in for the night. Nelly was wearing his tags, but his collar had come off during his great escape. In addition, the microchip that he had contained the wrong ID number and connected to a labrador retreiver who was obviously home and safe with his family.  I was very lucky in this situation, and all ended well as a result of acting quickly and the kindness of strangers. If you ever find yourself in such a situation, here are some tips that will hopefully help you to reunite with your missing family member :


-ACT QUICKLY!! - The first few hours are very important.
-ALWAYS ensure that your pet wears a tag (even if it is a primarily indoor animal). **THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR INDOOR CATS! It doesn't take long for a curious kitty to dart past you and out the door if there is something enticing on the other side.
-Contact your local vets and pet stores (often these are the first places those who find lost animals will call).
-Get your pet micro-chipped! In addition (as I have stated from experience), ENSURE THAT THE MICROCHIP IDENTIFICATION NUMBER IDENTIFIES YOUR PET, AND THAT THE INFORMATION IS CURRENT (I took this for granted).
-Quickly put up posters in your immediate area.
-Contact your local animal control or humane society.
-Organize a search party with friends and family to knock on doors and cover the immediate neighbourhood. You'd be surprised how many scared animals (cats in particular) are found within a few days hiding in a nearby garage or under a nearby porch.-Post on as many sites as you can.
-Go out at night when it is a little quieter and your pet may have a better chance at hearing you, and vice versa.
-If you have recently moved, search your former neighbourhood. It is very common for pets to wander to their previous homes.-If you have lost a cat, try putting his/her litter box and/or a bowl of food outside the door.
-For doggies, go to his/her favourite places (parks, stores, friend's homes), and take the doggy's favourite treats and toys.
-DON'T let the guilt get to you. Animals are roamers, and it happens often, so focus all your energy into getting your loved one back.
-HAVE HOPE!!! Just look at the many happy endings on this site.


**Please feel free to comment on this post or on the facebook page if you have a tip that you have found to be helpful!!