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15 Things to Do If Your Pet Goes Missing

“so many missing cats this summer – MG 4590.JPG” by sean dreilinger is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

It’s the stuff of nightmares: you wake up, calling for your dog or cat, only to realize they’ve sneaked out through a crack in the door or window. Or if your furry buddy loves to hang outside, it’s pretty common for them to hop over a fence or squeeze through a gap in the structure. In all these cases, you need to act fast. Here are 15 things to do if your pet goes missing.

Check Every Corner at Home

a cat is sitting under a car looking at the camera
Photo by Ladislav Stercell on Unsplash

Check all the spots in your home where your pet might be stuck, like the garage, basement, closets, crawl spaces, cabinets, sheds, and any sneaky areas under construction. If you’ve got a fenced yard, step outside and look for any gaps in or under the fence that your pet could’ve slipped through. Throw some treats as well to lure your pet back.

Reach Out to Local Vets

a man wearing a face mask sitting next to a dog
Photo by Karlo Tottoc on Unsplash

Some great vets take in lost pets and might look after them for a little while before sending them off to shelters. Make sure the vet offices in your area have a pic or description of your missing furball, plus your contact info. Your pet might’ve had an accident and ended up at a vet.

Report Your Pet Missing to Shelters

white and brown short coated dog on green grass during daytime
Photo by Madeline Bowen on Unsplash

Call and swing by local animal shelters, and be sure to fill out a lost pet report at each one. Save their number in your phone so you can follow up—even if your pet isn’t there when you check, they might show up later. You should also reach out to your local animal control officers.

Make Daily Visits to Animal Shelters

Long-coated Brown Puppy Inside Cage
Photo by NEOSiAM 2024+ on Pexels

Shelters might promise to let you know if your pet turns up, but don’t bank on it. They’re busy, and the staff might not always connect the dots between found animals and yours. Ask to see their lost and found records, stay persistent but polite, and don’t give up—your furry friend is counting on you to come through when it really matters.

Help Your Pet Find Their Way Back

A driveway with a gate leading to a house
Photo by Tom Brandon on Unsplash

Keep the gate open so they can slip back into the yard. If you’ve got an enclosed porch or sunroom, leave that door open too so they can come inside. Set up a trail cam to watch over your yard or home. Put some food out, and some people suggest leaving bedding that smells like them or even their crate, though most pets know where home is.

Consider Hiring Pet Tracking Experts

Woman Using Smartphone
Photo by Dương Nhân on Pexels

There are some companies that can help you track down a lost pet. They can be pretty pricey, and sometimes the conditions have to be just right, but it’s totally worth reaching out to them because they offer great tips and advice.

Create a Eye-Catching Lost Pet Poster

“Panda Needs Medication” by ~db~ is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Create a lost pet poster with a recent photo, and be sure to include any distinguishing features, your pet’s name, and your contact info. Put the posters up over a wide area—lost pets, especially if they’re scared or confused, can wander farther than you think. Make smaller versions of your lost pet poster or printouts to leave at local businesses, stick them on car windshields, and hand them out to anyone you come across.

Leverage Social Media to Find Your Pet

iPhone X beside MacBook
Photo by Timothy Hales Bennett on Unsplash

Share a recent photo of your pet along with all the important info—its name, physical traits, your contact details, and where it went missing—on community forums, Instagram, Facebook, or any other platforms you think might help in your search. People online often come together to help find missing animals.

Search Day and Night

man standing near cliff
Photo by Cristofer Maximilian on Unsplash

Some lost pets might stay hidden during the day and only come out at night. Use a flashlight when you’re searching in the dark, and call out your pet’s name while you look for them. Bring along a can of food—the smell might coax them out. Avoid going out at night or alone if you live near woods or forests. It can be risky, and you might end up attracting the wrong critter with that food.

Think About Preventative Measures

short-coated white and tan puppy near wooden boar
Photo by Mitchell Orr on Unsplash

Think about getting your pet microchipped. These tiny chips go just under the skin, and vets and shelters often scan pets as they come in to check for one. Another option is a GPS collar, though this might not help if your pet slips out of it or if the battery dies. Also, make sure your contact info on your pet’s ID tag is current (even cats should wear collars with ID tags).

Have Someone Home at All Times

Person in Gray Long Sleeve Shirt Ringing the Doorbell
Photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels

If your pet’s ID has an address on it, make sure at least one person is at home at all times. Someone might bring your pet back, or your furry friend could wander home on its own. It’s important that whoever is at home knows your pet and that your pet recognizes them, too. Your already stressed-out pet might get even more frustrated seeing a stranger hanging out at home.

Avoid Offering Rewards

a man standing next to a husky dog
Photo by Lesli Whitecotton on Unsplash

We know it’s tempting to offer a reward since money’s a big motivator, but it can also backfire. For one, people might start calling to scam you for cash or pretend they have your dog when they really don’t. Second, it could push people to go after your dog a little too intensely, which makes them chase it or even drive it out of the area.

Keep Your Phone Close

person unlocking smartphone
Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

It’s super important that the number you’re posting everywhere actually gets answered. Just to be safe, change your voicemail message to something like this: “If you have any info about my missing [cat], I need to talk to you. Please leave your name and number. If you don’t have a callback number, this phone will be answered by someone live between [x] and [y] today.”

Hit Pause on Everything Else

person in black jacket walking on pathway between green trees during foggy weather
Photo by jen ramona on Unsplash

Your day-to-day tasks aren’t as important as your pet’s life. Get friends or family to watch the kids. Postpone your wedding if you have to! Do whatever it takes to free up time to search for your buddy. And don’t even think about heading to the office while your pet’s out there, scared and alone. Everything else can wait until your furry friend is back home.

Go Door to Door in Your Neighborhood

an aerial view of a neighborhood with lots of houses
Photo by Michael Tuszynski on Unsplash

Go door to door and leave flyers under mailbox flags, in newspaper boxes, or on doorknobs. Just remember, it’s illegal to put stuff directly in mailboxes, but under the flags is cool! Keep a list of the streets you’ve hit, and if you’ve got friends or family helping, ask them to do the same. 

Written by Lisa O

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