How to Find a Lost Dog!

I hope it never happens to you, but if it does, you need to know how to find a lost dog. There's nothing more distressing than having a beloved pet missing from your home! Fortunately, there are a variety of steps you can take that will increase your chance of getting your beloved dog back. Here are some suggestions:

1. Do a thorough search of your local area both inside your home and outside.

Be sure to check your basement, attic, garage, and any other small room thoroughly as these would be places a dog might go to hide if he were upset or spooked by something. If you have a small dog, look under furniture, in storage boxes, and crawl spaces. Any nook and cranny can be a good hideout for a small dog.

2. Enlist the help of your friends and neighbors.

Knock on doors in your local neighborhood and let people know your dog is missing. Show a recent photo of your dog and offer a reward for any information about his whereabouts. This will often motivate people to keep an active watch. Try to speak with any children in the neighborhood about locating your lost dog since they play outdoors and would be most likely to see your dog. Offer them a small reward also.

3. Do an extended search.

Do a thorough search in the area within a 3 mile radius of where your dog was last seen. If possible enlist the help of others to cover the area more quickly.

4. Create flyers.

Create a flyer with specific information about your lost dog including her name, what type of collar she was wearing, her age, and whether she had any medical problems. Give the location where she was last seen. Be sure to include a recent photo of her along with your contact information. Post these flyers on as many bulletin boards as you can within a 5 mile radius of where your dog was last seen.

6. Check your local newspaper for notices of dogs found.

7. Contact every humane society and rescue oranization in your city.