What to do if your pet gets lost

What to do if your pet gets lost
Without proper identification, you might never find your pet if he becomes lost. If your pet does become lost, don’t delay. Take the following steps to help bring your beloved cat or dog home to safety.

Act fast! Don't waste days hoping your pet will come home. The sooner you begin your search, the better the odds of finding him.

Search your neighborhood or the area where your pet was lost, and let people know he's missing. You may want to offer a reward. Call your pet’s name and check any places he could have become trapped, such as in garages or under vehicles. A lost pet often will hide during the day, so be sure to go out again at night with a flashlight and call for him. Sometimes a can of food can lure a hungry and scared pet to you.

Call in a “lost pet” report to your local animal shelter(s) and animal control authority immediately. Some larger cities have more than one shelter, so be sure to contact all of them in your area.

Visit your local shelter(s) in person every day to search for your pet. Many animals are difficult to describe over the phone, and only you really know what your pet looks like.

Make "lost pet" posters or fliers using your pet's photo. Put them up in your neighborhood and in post offices, libraries, pet supply stores, veterinary clinics and grocery stores.

Inform your veterinarian and groomer that your pet is lost in case they receive a call.

Place ads in local newspapers and on free internet classified sites such as www.craigslist.com. Offer a reward in case someone found your untagged pet and was thinking of keeping him.

Watch the “found” ads in the newspaper and on the internet. Respond to any that are even close to your pet's description. What one person describes as a “tan shepherd mix” may look like a “yellow lab mix” to someone else.

Call your local radio stations. Some radio stations will broadcast lost pet information for free. Give them very detailed information on where your pet was lost, his description and how to contact you.

Please, for your pet’s sake, show you care by properly identifying it. Learn more about tagging and microchipping your pet.

http://www.americanhumane.org/protecting-animals/adoption-pet-care/care/if-your-pet-gets-lost.html