The pit of despair and sickness you feel in your heart when your pet becomes lost is unbearable. There is nothing quite like that hopelessness you feel in the first few moments realizing that they are not there. However, there are some actions you can take immediately that will help return your beloved pet back to you as soon as possible.
What To Do When You Lose A Pet
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Contact your local animal shelter and animal control
The first thing you want to do is to contact your local animal authorities. They may have been picked up by the pound or a rescue group. If they somehow lost their collar on a fence during their escape they may not be easily returned home without a microchip. You need to file a lost report with every shelter in at least a 50-mile radius of your home.
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Search your area
While searching your neighborhood and local street comes natural, make sure to keep at it. Go through the neighborhood as often as you can and make sure to ask neighbors, delivery drivers, and everyone in between.
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Ask for help anywhere and everywhere
Post flyers up everywhere you can think of. Stick them on bulletin boards in grocery stores, veterinary offices, grooming shops, intersections, pet stores, and community centers. Also, create online flyers to send online. Share them with Center for Lost Pets, Craigslist, Nextdoor, Facebook, Fido Finder and more. There are a ton of online resources at your disposal that could help you locate your lost family member. Talk to everyone you can and ask them to keep a lookout. The community can be a powerful resource.
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Be wary of scammers
While for the most part, the community wants to see you reunited with your pet it is not always the case. One of the sad things about losing a pet is that there are always be around ready to capitalize on your vulnerability. This is especially true if you are asking for a reward. Make sure to ask to describe your pet in detail and ask for details that weren’t in the flyer description.
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Don’t give up
Keep at it as long as you possibly can. It can be hard to keep up the search day after day and week after week, but it’s important that you do. After a while, you may not be able to put the same effort into each day, but don’t give up in general. Pets have been known to be reunited with their owners months and sometimes years after they were lost.
It can really be terrifying when you lose a pet. But the best idea is to stay calm and have a plan. Search your neighborhood, check the shelters and let everyone and anyone in your area know that your baby is missing. Most people will keep an eye for a lost pet and will let you know if they see them around. Don’t ever give up, they are looking for you just as hard as you are looking for them.
