How to reunite with your best pal
When your beloved dog or cat strays from home, it can be a traumatic experience for both of you. Here are some tips that we hope will help you find your pet.
Contact local animal shelters and animal control agencies
File a lost pet report with every shelter within a 60-mile radius of your home and visit the nearest shelters daily, if possible.
To find your local shelter, search online or check your phone book. If there is no shelter in your community, contact the local police department. Provide these agencies with an accurate description and a recent photograph of your pet. Notify the police if you believe your pet was stolen.
Search the neighborhood
Walk or drive through your neighborhood several times each day. Ask neighbors, letter carriers and delivery people if they have seen your pet. Hand out a recent photograph of your pet and information on how you can be reached if your pet is found.
Advertise
Post notices at grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, traffic intersections, pet supply stores and other locations. Also, place advertisements in newspapers and with radio stations. Include your pet’s sex, age, weight, breed, color and any special markings. When describing your pet, leave out one identifying characteristic and ask the person who finds your pet to describe it.
Try the internet
Pet FBI, Pets Found by Internet, is combining databases with Helping Lots Pets to broaden the search for owners who lost their furry friends. Pet FBI, a Columbus-based organization, began 21 years ago and is continuing to help owners.
Or try these sites:
