Losing a dog is a worrying and emotional event, especially if s/he never returns. These suggestions will increase the likelihood of getting your pet back:
- A dog that is sick or injured may often seek out a hiding place nearby so, firstly, do a thorough search of your home, in cupboards, under the house, behind bushes and in the garden shed.
- Next, check with your neighbours and the street where the dog was lost or last seen.
- Call out to your dog and make a sound he will relate to food e.g. rattle a dinner dish, bang on a can, and shake a container of favourite food or treats.
- Set up a "sniff trail" by putting items of clothing you've worn along your fence line so that the dog can "smell home".
- Call the vet clinics in the area. If your dog is taken to a vet, as sometimes happens after a car accident, they will try to identify it and contact the owner.
- Some dogs are stolen from backyards, cars left outside a corner store or from where he has been tied to a railing. These unfortunate dogs have, if they are micro-chipped, a better chance of ultimately being reunited with their owners.
- Check with your council to find out which dog pound services your area. Go there every day to check for yourself. Your description may not match the bedraggled dog he may have become by the time he reaches the pound.
- Print "Lost Dog" notices, preferably with a photograph. Post these in a wide radius around the area; include shopping centre notice boards, local post offices, libraries, laundromats, pet supply stores, veterinary offices and grocery stores.
- Check out "found" sections of your local papers and consider placing a "lost pet" ad and offering a reward.
- Make sure there is no "next time" once your dog is safely back at home. Micro-chipping is excellent, but also always ensure that he always wears a collar with identity disk (name and telephone number).
- Practice obvious management techniques, especially for proven escape artists. Keep the front gate shut, build a higher fence and/or put chicken wire at the base to prevent your dog from digging his way out.
Reference: Dog-e-data
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