Tag: tags

Lost & Found Dogs

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I’m a dog person. When I drive, I notice dogs all of the time. When I see an unaccompanied dog, I stop. This morning, while driving my daughter to school, we saw this dog all by itself near a very busy road. I stopped, rolled down my window, and called out ‘Go Home’. The dog walked over to the car, so I got out. She was very friendly, so I opened the back door and said ‘Get in’. She did. I really wish that all stray dogs were this easy to catch!

She was wearing a collar, with no tag. I just happen to have leashes and towels and treats in my car (which is basically an Uber for dogs to go the vet and kids to go to school).

She was extremely happy and enjoyed our drive to school.

We dropped my daughter off and drove directly to the closest place with a microchip reader. If you find a dog, the first step is to check for a tag and/or a microchip. Any shelter or veterinarian’s office will have a microchip reader and scan a dog for you.

Luckily, Wilma had a microchip. Unluckily, it was registered to the Indianapolis Humane Society, and had not been updated in 10 years. Yes, Wilma was rescued and adopted 10 years ago, about 800 miles away from where I found her.

Any dog that enters a shelter or rescue should be microchipped and registered to that shelter or rescue. We left a message for the Indianapolis Humane Society and let them know that Wilma was found stray in New Orleans and left my phone number as a point of contact.

Wilma’s story has a happy ending. I was just parking at home (thinking I have 4 dogs and 4 fosters here already – 9 dogs is a lot, but she’s my responsibility now) when I get a text. Hi Danielle, I think you found my dog.

Yaaaaaay!!! The Indianapolis Humane Society was able to track down Wilma’s adopter. She lives just a few blocks from me and has had this dog for 9 years. She was so worried and very happy to have her sweet girl back home.

I’m over the moon that it worked out, and this sweet girl was reunited with her very worried family. This could have had a different ending. Wilma could have been hit by a car. She could have been taken in by someone who did not check for a microchip and just kept her. Her un-updated chip may have been a dead end.

PLEASE KEEP A TAG WITH YOUR CURRENT CONTACT INFORMATION ON YOUR DOG’S COLLAR. If Wilma had been wearing a tag, I could have taken her home in under 5 minutes.

Tags and collar can fall off, but microchips are permanent. If your dog is not already microchipped, ask your vet to do it. Dog’s get out, it happens. Don’t you want to make it easy for them to get home? If your dog is microchipped, register it to your name and address and UPDATE it whenever your contact information changes.

When one of my foster dogs is adopted, I hand the new owner information about the dog’s microchip and instruct them to register it online. It only take a few minutes of your time.

Don’t have the paperwork for your dog’s chip? No problem, have a veterinarian’s office scan the dog and you can look up the microchip number on the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup site  The site will tell you if and where the chip is registered, when it was updated last, and explain how to reach the registry to check and/or update your contact information. Here is an example:

Microchip-Lookup-AAHA.png

You can register your dog’s microchip with both the manufacturer’s registry and with the universal (and free) Found Animals registry.

Microchips reunite families, but only if they are updated and accurate. Please check that yours is up to date today.

I’m Lost, Please Find Me!

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Take Paws Rescue recently had a foster dog go missing. Thankfully, it was my first time dealing with a missing dog. Ash had been in my care and then was moved to a female only foster home, because he is afraid of men. Then he was almost adopted! Ash has apparantly been abused, and he is still learning to trust. Like Ash, many dogs go missing right after being sent to a new foster or adoptive home. They slip the leash, jump the fence, or bolt out of an open door. They don’t know where they are, and they have not bonded with their new people. If they are naturally fearful or unsocialized, they can be relatively difficult to capture.

Ash found his way out of the backyard fence of his new foster home and it took a day and half to find and catch him. Many of our wonderful rescue dogs are brought into the shelters as strays. It happens. Unfortunately, about one in four pets will be lost at some point during their lifetime. Sadly, many of them never make it back home.The best thing that you can do to assure that your beloved pets are returned home if lost is to make sure that they are wearing ID tags and that they are microchipped back to you.

Always attach a tag to your dogs collar with your phone number and or address on it. An ID tag is your pet’s only visible means of identification, and not everyone who finds a dog will know about microchips, or will take the time to visit a vet or shelter to have a found dog scanned. But tags and collars can easily slip off, so a microchip is the best way to ensure that a pet can be linked back to its owner. Microchips are tiny, about the size of a grain of rice. They are quickly implanted beneath the skin. I have seen it done about 40 times, and most dogs don’t even notice it going in. Once implanted, you pay a small fee, usually about $20, to register your pet online and provide up to date contact information. A microchip contains a unique identification number that is linked to a database. When a lost pet is found, it can be scanned for a microchip at any animal shelter or veterinary clinic and will be linked back to whoever registered it.

No matter what company your microchip is registered to, you can register and update for  FREE at www.foundanimals.org. Make sure to update your information if it changes.

 

What to do if your pet is lost:

 SEARCH

When dogs become lost, they quickly revert to a sort of feral dog mode; their first instinct is to survive and find a safe place to eat. Place food, water, and your dog’s crate in the area where the dog went missing, then they won’t feel the need to wander far. Leave out high value human food like chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers, or hot dogs instead of dog food; it’s more enticing for dogs.

Organize a team of friends, family and neighbors to begin a detailed physical search of the place the animal was last seen, both on foot and by car, carrying leashes or slip leads, high value treats, and handouts with contact information. It is important to tell EVERYONE searching to NOT call out to, approach, or chase the dog.  A lost dog is in fight or flight mode. The greatest risk to a shy or frightened lost dog is that he will be chased into traffic and killed.

Often the search will begin at home. If at all practical, leave doors open, so that the dog can return home. Make sure someone is home at all times in case the dog comes back on their own. Search in and around the house, in the bushes, under decks and under raised houses in case the dog is hiding.

Search during the daylight as much possible. Intensify the search between 5 am and 8 am and 6 pm and 9 pm. Dogs may hide during the day, but come out at dusk and dawn.  If you are searching at night, be aware of your surroundings and bring a companion. Consider your safety first. Be sure to ask permission before going onto private property, and use extra care near busy roads or in isolated areas.

Other than searching the area, what can be done to help find the dog? 

  • Contact your microchip company to report your dog lost and make sure that they have accurate, up to date contact information for you.
  • Notify local animal control, or government agencies responsible for dealing with lost and found pets. Dial 411 to get phone numbers for animal control in your community.
  • Visit in person any shelters where your pet might turn up as soon and as often as possible. Just contacting shelters by phone or e-mail is not enough. Do not assume you will be contacted because you left your information; they are often very busy and dealing with a lot of dogs.

GET ONLINE

POSTERS AND FLYERS

Posting flyers is one of the most effective methods of getting the word out about a lost or found pet. Make bright, highly visible neon posters and print your flyers on colored paper. Yellow is easiest to see from a distance. Keep it simple. Use a few descriptive words and contact info and very large lettering. You want people to be able to read it at a glance. Add “DO NOT CHASE” on your flyers and signs. Consider the demographics in your area, maybe post flyers in Spanish. Insert your printed flyer into a page protector with open edge down, seal and attach with clear packaging tape to a bright colored poster board. To secure flyers to a utility pole, just wrap clear wide shipping tape to encircle the pole and to weatherproof it. Post these at major intersections and at main streets leading into and out of the area the dog has been sighted or was lost from.

Record an outgoing message on the voice mail of the number posted. “If you are calling to report a sighting of our lost dog, please give the time, location and direction the dog was moving and your phone number. Thank you.”

After a sighting, spread lots of posters and flyers in the area.

Flyers can be more detailed than posters and can include a photograph. Have good quality photographs of your pets. If they ever become lost, this photograph could be invaluable. Flyers can be handed out to neighbors, mailmen, joggers and dog walkers, and staff at local veterinary offices and businesses nearby. People who find pets will often take them to a veterinarian to be scanned for a microchip rather than turn the pet into a shelter. Ask if you can post on indoor bulletin boards at the vet, animal shelter, library, or any other public place that allows this.

See https://search.petfbi.org/flyer.html for a good flyer template.

MISSING DOG BEHAVIOR

Pets can become lost in unfamiliar surroundings (from a car accident, while on vacation, or from the vet, pet sitter, or groomer). Newly adopted dogs and foster dogs must be watched carefully. They have not yet bonded with their new family and they are unfamiliar with their new territory. If lost, they are at a disadvantage. However, they are usually quite predictable in their behaviors, often staying close to the spot where they went missing.

Typical missing dog behaviors can be broken down into general categories. Knowing which category your dog best fits can help you find him or her.

An explorer gets out repeatedly and generally knows their territory. This dog appears confident, often follows the same route and urinates at intervals along the way. The good news is, this dog will avoid people and will usually return home by the end of the day.
An outgoing dog is friendly and may follow people or get into their cars. These dogs are well adjusted and confident. They usually don’t stay missing for long; they’re easy to catch. They’ll walk up to strangers, and if they’re wearing ID, they’ll usually be returned home quickly.

These two types of friendly dogs are relatively easy to catch. However, even well-socialized dogs may instinctively go into “feral mode” after finding themselves lost. In this state of mind, dogs perceive all humans as threats and may flee even from people they know.

  • Search yard, house, call by name
  • Call out “Treat!” or “Go home!
  • Leave out food, water, and crate, and the dog’s bedding or clothing with your scent where the dog was last seen
  • If lost from home, leave doors open where the dog is used to going in and out of the house
  • Recruit neighbors and friends to search by car and on foot
  • Tell people DO NOT CHASE
  • If you have another dog, take it with you to search
  • Carry a leash, high value treats, and  flyers with a description of the dog and contact info
A runner dog is running scared and does not know where he is. A runner may be set off by loud noises, like fireworks. A runner is in great danger of being hit by a car. Ash, the missing foster dog, was a runner. He is afraid of men. He ran when familiar people spotted him. He repeatedly ran across a busy road, and was lucky that a car did not hit him.
A shy dog may be a loved pet with a naturally fearful temperament, or may be a dog that was not well socialized to humans as a puppy. Dogs who were abandoned or lost as puppies, or who were raised in puppy mills and hoarding situations can be the most difficult to recover. They will run off in a panic when startled, or when faced with a stressful situation. They can run for miles before slowing down. They will avoid human contact, running from anyone who tries to approach. They will become more fearful if chased and may growl or bite if cornered, so use caution when approaching.

  • Do NOT call the dog’s name
  • Write “Do Not Chase” on your signs and handouts.
  • Be slow and calm – if the dog is spotted, sit quietly and avoid direct eye contact
  • Lure dog with food, just drop food bits and walk away a bit to see if it will follow
  • If the dog won’t come to you, it may be necessary to use a humane trap to recover a runner or a shy dog. You may be able to borrow one from your local shelter or animal control. (More on traps below)
  • When searching carry a slip lead that can go over the dog’s head quickly

 

When there is a sighting, but the dog is not caught, it is important to get high value food and water set out in the area to keep the dog from roaming further. You can even try to set up a portable grill and cook hamburgers or hotdogs. The smell might entice the dog near. Leaving out scent articles like the dog’s bed, toys, even dirty articles of clothing (from the person most bonded with the dog) also may help keep the dog nearby. When a hunter loses a dog while hunting, they will often leave their coat out on the ground at the place they last saw their dog, and find that the dog is lying on it when they return to the spot later.

Be patient.

If you see the dog, stop. Slowly sit down on the ground. Assume a nonthreatening position. Keep the dog in sight using your peripheral vision. Don’t look at the dog straight on or make direct eye contact with the dog.
Move as little as possible. Make sure your phone is on vibrate or silent. Maybe toss a few high value treats on the ground around you. Have a crinkly bag with treats inside it (my dogs always run to the kitchen when they hear me opening anything that may be treats.) Start crinkling the bag and “accidentally” dropping the food onto the ground, then slowly pick up pieces that you dropped on the ground.

Now you are sitting or kneeling down and not considered a threat. It may take some time and patience, but the dog might approach you.  Be patient and speak softly or not at all. Never call a stray dog. Don’t look at it. Don’t walk towards the dog. When I sighted Ash, our missing foster dog, I was in my car. I got out and moved slowly towards him, happily calling his name. This was a mistake. He bolted and ran across traffic. If I had sat down, he might have come to me. He was in fight or flight mode.

Approaching the dog
should only be attempted by one person at a time and not until the dog is in a sitting position. If the dog is standing, it is very likely to run off when you start moving. Try to move closer while the dog is eating the treats, move very slowly and continue tossing treats while avoiding eye contact.

Here is what did work with Ash. Try to bring in a calm dog that the lost dog knows. We knew the area he was in after several sightings. Another of his foster mom’s arrived with her senior Golden, a dog that Ash got along very well with. Maddie was confident, calm, and relaxed. Bringing in a reactive, high-strung dog would have been a mistake. With the calm dog (Maddie), and the lost dog (Ash) in sight, start feeding treats to the calm dog. You want to show that other dogs do not find you threatening. Then you can toss high value treats to the lost dog. If the lost dog spooks, sit and remain where you are and give them a chance to come back. It took patience, and several tries, but eventually Ash approached.

Do not attempt to catch the dog until you are within arm’s reach. Use a slip leash or, if the dog is still wearing their collar, try to grab it. If the dog gets scared and backs away, give them a chance to relax and try again. Don’t rush, be patient. It took a day and a half of searching, and several instances of him approaching and retreating, but Ash was found and caught and is safe now.

Be safe; avoid dog bites. Lost dogs are scared and may turn and nip or bite out of fear when they are finally caught. A pair of thick, leather work gloves can help prevent a dog bite. Whenever possible, let the owner or foster handle the dog.  If that person is not there and you have sighted the dog, contact them ASAP. Put some food on the ground let the dog eat and wait for the owner/foster to arrive. Let the dog come to you. Sit on the ground with your back to the dog and gently throw out high value treats.

What happens if there is a bite? In most states any incident that breaks skin results in a 10 day rabies quarantine for the animal. If the dog’s rabies vaccination is not current or the status is unknown, then the quarantine must be done at an animal shelter or stray animal holding facility.  The shelter is extremely stressful and the close contact with other dogs puts the dog at high risk of getting sick. The costs of the quarantine, any medical treatment, and care for the dog will be transferred back to the owner.  If an owner cannot afford the reclaim fees, the dog is at high risk of being euthanized, because a dog who bites may be considered “aggressive”, even if they bite out of fear and are normally friendly. Aggressive dogs are not adoptable. It is very important to avoid bites, both for your own health and for your dog. Both shelters and rescues will hesitate to take on the additional risk of liability of a dog that has bitten.

To recover a scared, skittish dog, it’s often necessary to catch it in a trap.

How to use a trap to catch a lost pet

https://youtu.be/Shpvu9hg-ag

You may be able to borrow a dog trap, or you may need to purchase one.

 

A trap should be about the size of a dog crate, big enough to enclose the entire dog, standing.  The trap is triggered when the dog is lured far enough in to step on a pressure plate, releasing a mechanism that causes the door to slam shut without hurting them.

The trap should be placed in an area the dog frequents for food. Leave food outside in the same area day after day until the dog gets used to feeding in that location. Then position your trap in that area. If a flat, level surface isn’t available, secure the trap to a wooden plank. Once a dog begins to get comfortable with feeding inside the trap, you can bait it and set it for a catch. Unset your trap at times when you are unavailable to monitor it. Do not move the trap. Changing trap locations can confuse the dog

The key to luring the dog into the trap is using really smelly food. Place the food inside and tie it open so it cannot close. The dog could be afraid to go into the trap. Make a routine of leaving a smelly bait trail leading into the trap. Drizzle juice from canned tuna leading into your trap so the dog will follow the scent trail. Leave bits of food just inside of the trap and then a larger amount at the end just beyond the trip plate.

If capturing a pet dog, try adding a favorite toy or blanket or clothing or pillowcases from family members.

The best time to set your trap is at dusk, when dogs feel most comfortable coming out to forage for food. The trap needs to be checked every two hours in the hot summer and cold winter months and every four hours in milder weather. You are likely to catch a variety of wildlife like raccoons or opossums. Please be careful when releasing wildlife.

This takes time and patience, sometimes it takes weeks. The dog needs to work up courage to go into the trap. It may not do so until it is extremely hungry.

Do not immediately open the trap once the dog is found inside. All of the doors to the trap need to be tied shut before moving the trap. Drop a blanket or cloth over the trap to keep the dog calm.

Be very gentle when moving the trap, keeping it level. Have someone help you transport the trap to a secure location where the dog cannot run off again.

If your dog has been missing for a long time, don’t give up! Dogs are survivors and are very resourceful.

 

 

 

 

Ash is very happy to be with us again, and he has made a lot of progress around my husband. It takes time and patience to undo the effects of abuse and neglect. Ash is now known to crawl up on my husband on the couch for cuddles. He is learning to trust men. It is an amazing thing to be a part of the healing process for these amazing animals, and I am incredibly grateful for my supportive husband and children.

Are you and your pets prepared in case of disaster?

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Well, it’s still raining and we are happy to report that nothing bad is happening on the grounds of The Cecchine Hotel for Dogs.

This week is the 5th anniversary of Hurricane Issac, the 9th anniversary of Gustav, the 12th anniversary of Katrina, and the 25th anniversary of Andrew.  In light of Hurricane Harvey and flooding in Texas and Louisiana, please take a moment to think about what you would do if you faced similar circumstances. New Orleans is currently under a flash flood warning and western Louisiana is flooding while Texas is dealing with catastrophic flooding. Don’t let your guard down, the hurricane season peaks September 10th. This is the time to be prepared.

If you shelter in place during an emergency, make sure that you have 
sufficient food, water, and pet meds on hand. You can fill your bathtubs 
with  water just in case. It's a good idea to place an emergency decal in 
your  window that shows how many pets you have. It will let emergency 
responders  know to look out for your pets. You can purchase one here.

How do you decide: Evacuate? Shelter in place? 

This is a tough decision. Where are you going to go, and for how long, and what will it cost? What about work and school? What if you have multiple pets? This is not an easy decision to make. It has a lot to do with your resources, your personal network, and even your past experiences. First, listen to your local authorities, they generally know best. They cannot predict everything that is going to happen, but they have access to the best prediction models and the full picture of what is happening in your area. Second, plan to stay and plan to go. Be prepared either way.

If there is a voluntary evacuation, emergency planners would like you to make a decision early and stick with it. Don't wait until the last minute to evacuate. If it is a mandatory 
evacuation leave as soon as you are told to do so. If the order is shelter in place, resist the urge too evacuate anyway. These are called "shadow evacuators" and they put at risk 
those who really need to evacuate. This was a cause of unnecessary deaths during the Hurricane Rita evacuation.

Take Your Pets With You in an Emergency

Have a plan in place for evacuating with your pets. If you have friends or family that can take you in, make a plan with them. For a list of pet friendly hotels check out Bring Fido.  You can email, text, or call to get help making a reservation or finding a vet wherever you end up. Things have changed a bit since Katrina, more hotels will waive animal prohibitions during evacuations, and response organizations like the Coast Guard have better plans and are better prepared to deal with families that have pets. Local Emergency Management organizations are generally required to prepare and care for citizens during a disaster, including plans to accommodate pets. Since Hurricane Katrina, the federal Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards (PETS) was passed. Significant changes have been made to federal and state emergency planning policies to develop emergency preparedness plans and ensure that state and local emergency plans take into account the needs of individuals with pets and service animals during a major disaster or emergency. Keep in mind though, while there often is no specific policy, emergency responders may refuse to take your pet if it appears aggressive, so have a muzzle if you think that your dog might be aggressive or appear so due to stress.

If you will need to go to a pet friendly shelter during an evacuation, make sure you have the following items: a crate, a leash and collar , a two-week supply of food and water (and bowls!), kitty-litter and a litter box, your pets’ vaccination records and medications.

***Not all communities offer pet friendly emergency/evacuation shelters. Please know that local and state health and safety regulations do not permit the Red Cross to allow pets in disaster shelters. (Service animals are allowed in Red Cross shelters.) Plan ahead, prepare a list of boarding facilities and veterinarians who could shelter animals in an emergency; include 24-hour phone numbers. 

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) information on animals in public evacuation centers

Click on the links below to find designated pet friendly emergency/evacuation shelters.*from petfriendlytravel.com

Alabama Alaska Arizona

Arkansas California Colorado

Connecticut Delaware Dist. of Columbia

Florida Georgia Hawaii

Idaho Illinois Indiana

Iowa Kansas Kentucky

Louisiana Maine Maryland

Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota

Mississippi Missouri Montana

Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire

New Jersey New Mexico New York

North Carolina North Dakota Ohio

Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania

Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota

Tennessee Texas Utah

Vermont Virginia Washington

West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming



If you are evacuating by car with your pet or pets, you will need to take:

3-7 days of food and water - collapsible bowls are perfect for both. Your vet's contact 
information should be in your phone and wallet, along with your pet's medications and medical records 
(scan or take a picture of them), harness(es)/leash(es), travel carrier(s) or collapsible 
wire crate(s). We bought a soft roof top carrier for the car that will fit these and dog 
food in case we need to evacuate. Don't forget poo bags, or cat litter, litter box, and 
extra trash bags. I highly suggest paper towels and lysol wipes as well as several 
blankets/towels. *A favorite toy will go a long way to calm a stressed pet. 

Download the American Red Cross app Pet First Aid and make a simple first aid kit: small 
flashlight, alcohol swabs, cotton balls and sterile gauze pads, tweezers, first aid tape 
and scissors, latex gloves, hydrogen peroxide, instant cold pack, instant hot pack, hand 
sanitizer, and styptic powder or liquid to stop minor bleeding. You can also buy a kit here.

Does your pet get car sick?  Dramamine can be given to dogs for motion sickness: 12.5 milligrams for small dogs, 25 milligrams for medium dogs, and 50 Milligrams for large dogs. I found out with my carsick puppies that lavender essential oils help out, so I purchases an inexpensive diffuser for the car. It plugs into the lighter and does a wonderful job masking wet dog smell.

What to do if you find a pet that is lost

Unfortunately, disasters are times when pets get away more frequently. Please use caution when approaching an unfamiliar animal. Frightened or possibly injured animals are unpredictable. DO NOT come up from behind them; make sure that they can see you approach. If the animal seems aggressive, back away and call your local police or animal control.  If the animal seems friendly, approach slowly, speak calmly, and try to entice the animal with food. You can lure a dog into your car or a carrier, and then restrain with a leash if possible. I have a snack baggie of treats in my purse and a slip leash in my car/s glove box, just in case. Sometimes a lost animal will come right up to you, or jump into your car. If you can, carefully put a slip lead over their neck and check for a tag. The other day, I parked at Whole Foods next to an SUV that had a female lab sort of stuck half-way out of the rear window. The driver had left the window part way down and went shopping. DON’T DO THAT. There were pigeons and I think the lab was trying to get to them. I was able to help her get out of the window and into my car using treats, and then we waited for the owner to return. She was a bitch, but her dog was sweet as can be. (And I was very nice when I said that it is too hot to leave your dog in a car.) Her dog’s tag had an address, but no one answered the phone number listed. I asked about that and she said I don’t answer numbers I don’t know. Fair enough, but I left a voice mail. She didn’t thank me, but her dog did, so it was worth it.

If you cannot reach an owner, or there is no collar and tag, then you can take the animal to the closest vet or animal shelter and ask them to check for a microchip. If you take the animal to the shelter or animal control, ask what their “stray hold” time is. This is the length of time that the shelter must keep the animal before it can be released to the care of a local rescue or be adopted, or, depending on circumstances, be euthanized. Let the shelter know if you’d like to foster or adopt the pet if the owner is not found. Make sure to call back a few times to check on the animal’s status and let them know your intention.

Please consider the limitations of shelters. They may not have sufficient space, and, if the animal is sick or injured, they may euthanize to relieve their suffering. Space and budget limitations mean that the shelters must make painful decisions about how best to allocate their resources. Consider that and think about helping the animal yourself. At least consider what you would want the finder of your animal to do if roles were reversed, but be reasonable about how much you can afford to do for that animal if no owner shows up. Are you willing to add them to your household? And will you be willing to return them to their original home if the owner turns up and you have formed an attachment? What if the animal is injured or sick? Before you take an animal to a private vet for treatment, be willing to assume financial responsibility. Consider reaching out to rescues for help. If you are willing to foster an animal, providing a home and food, many rescues will pay for vetting. These costs are then offset with adoption fees and fundraising efforts. If you do fall in love, then you can be among many who foster fail and adopt.

What to do if your dog goes missing

Before anything happens, please have good, clear pictures of your pet’s face and of their full body. It’s also a good idea to have a picture of yourself with your pets in order to prove ownership.

Please tag and microchip your pet! Most shelters and vets have microchip readers. If your pet is missing, call your microchip company and make sure that they have your current, updated contact information. It’s a good idea to save the phone number in your contacts on your phone so that its easy to find. I know that my dogs have chips from different places. so it would take some time to sort it out. I’ll be adding them into my contacts today.

Google to find the vets and animal rescues and shelters in the adjoining counties (if you are in Louisiana, we call them parishes). Call with a description of your pet and their microchip ID. They will want to know your dog’s color, age, size, temperament, any identification that was on the dog (collar, tag, microchip), where the dog was lost, and how to reach you. You can also ask them if they would be willing to post a flyer of your missing pet. Your flyer should include your pet’s name, breed, physical description and a recent photograph. Include your name, telephone number, and email address.

In many cases, someone will find and take in your pet. Post pictures and info on your missing pet on your local nextdoor.com, and post on Facebook pages set up for missing pets in your area.

If you’ve lost your dog in your immediate neighborhood, walk around calling their name. Go to places you know that they like, and do your best sound cheerful. Let your immediate neighbors know that your pet is missing and ask if they’d mind keeping an eye out for you. If you are away from your neighborhood when they are lost, check back at your car often. Some dogs are very good at finding the car again and will be waiting there for you.

Where your pet goes depends on their temperament. If they are shy and introverted, they will probably hide; look in bushes. If they are extroverted, they will look for other humans to provide food and comfort; look in neighbors’ yards and parks. Most dogs are found within a two mile radius of their home or the place that they were lost. How far they go is a function of their size and age. Large and young dogs can go as far as five miles, while small or older dogs will go half a mile to a mile at most. Draw a circle and then get out walking or on a bicycle.

Contact local dog shelters daily to see if they’ve found your dog or if a kind stranger has handed them in. Most shelters are 
online and have pictures of found pets. Stray dogs will usually be held for about a week before they are made available for 
adoption. If it has been more than a week, look at websites like Petfinder where you can search by location and breed.

Have a tag on your dog with a current phone number, including area code, and a street address including city and state. The collar should be snug, but not too tight. Make sure that you can fit two fingers beneath it. You can have tags laser printed withe your contact information at most pet stores. Or, if you are like me, and you need a sense of humor to get through the day, check out my new favorite Etsy shop, A Taylor Made Design for custom tags. Ashley makes the cutest, hand stamped tags, and she is a supporter of The Cecchine Hotel for Dogs, so please support her by buying these great tags (have your phone number on the back). Ashley has a great sense of humor and two great dogs, a Miniature Pinscher named Logan, and a Miniature Pinscher/Australian Shepherd mix named Shay, who inspire her work.  I’m thinking we might need custom Cecchine Hotel for Dogs tags…

Please remember, if your dog does come running back to you, set aside your anger and frustration and greet them warmly. Reward them for coming back, do not punish them!

Stay safe and take care of your family. Pets are family too.