Help, My Dog is Missing!

Speeding Up Your Recovery Time

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Don't delay! If your dog has gone missing, these are things you need to be doing right away!

Flyers - Use your most current photo of your dog, and use very large lettering that will catch the eye of drivers with the words "MISSING". Include your immediate contact information, address, cell phone number, home phone number, and numbers to call if you can not be reached. Describe your dog, but leave out some quick identifying feature if you are offering a reward (if your dog has a strange white patch on her chest, just use "black with white patch"), to prevent the unscrupulous from trying to take advantage of you.

Tape your flyer everywhere. Telephone poles, mailboxes, under windshield wipers of vehicles in your neighbourhood.

Call the Police - The police officers on duty will often hear first if the worst happens and the dog has been hit by a car.

Take out Newspaper Ads - Local newspapers will allow you to run a "Lost Pet" advertisement for free.

Call Animal Control for your area. - Don't know how to reach them? Call your local fire department or police station, they will find the number for you.

Call your local radio station and ask to place an announcement. Many do this free of charge, and many have personnel available at all hours to answer the phone.

Make a point of meeting your mail delivery person and handing them a copy of your poster. They might spot your dog on their rounds. Do the same with the garbage collectors and the utility department meter readers as well as the persons who deliver the daily papers.

This day in the age of computers it is easy to do your own business cards. Make up cards with the dogs picture, the date lost, phone numbers...and hand those out to children, people out walking their dogs, running, riding bikes etc. Sometimes they throw away flyers, where they'll keep a business card.

You need to think like a dog. What does she like? Where would she be most likely to head? Is there another house/yard in the neighborhood similar to yours? She might be there. If she's crossed a street, she might have a visual barrier preventing her (in her mind) from returning. Follow the lay of the land -- which way would you be most likely to go if you were she? Put one of your other dogs on a leash and see which way it's inclined to head for a general idea.

Try writing big red letters on poster "CHILD’S BELOVED PET" -- Maybe you'll tug at someone's heartstrings if they think the dog belongs to a child.

Tape one of those large posters to the back of your vehicle (and your friend’s) , so everywhere you go, "people" know "somebody" is still looking for this dog, as is not going "to just go away !"

Mail flyers to all local vets (within 30 minutes driving distance).

Visit shelters daily in person. Don’t just call, often a dog is misrepresented as a different breed altogether, ask to see ALL animals, including the ones in the back awaiting euthanization.

Hand out flyers and cards with the information to everybody at your local dog park, or any other popular dog area.

Important things to remember
If your dog has been spooked into running, she might not come running back to you, even when she hears your voice calling. This is why it is very important to listen carefully for whimpering, whining, and to shine that flashlight underneath porches, vehicles, and other potential hiding spots. Don't count on a spot being too small, either! It's surprising how tight a space a terrified dog can squeeze into.

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Many thanks to the Dog Park members for compiling this list!