If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate situation of searching for a lost pet (which we hope you never do), we have a few tips we hope will bring your furry family member home to you before he or she gets into any real trouble.
Most importantly… and we can’t stress this enough… PLEASE MICROCHIP YOUR PET! It is your best chance of your dog getting back to you if they turn up at a shelter. And, keep your dog collared and tagged your dog at all times! You can get your dog microchipped for free, every Friday, by visiting the United Coalition for Animals if you live in the Cincinnati area. If your pup is already missing though, and is not microchipped, here are some other tactics and tips to to keep in mind.
1) POSTERS & FLYERS
The first thing you need to do is create eye-catching POSTERS & FLYERS – immediately and in bulk! Canvas the area. Be on foot, in car, offer a REWARD and post a contact number, talk to everyone, and be sure to answer every call (keep your phone CHARGED). The first few hours are the most critical, before your animal wanders too far. You’d be surprised how far they can travel in a matter of days.
2) TAP INTO EXISTING NETWORKS
- Consider issuing a Pet Amber Alert and post to a local Lost Pet Pages:
- Cincinnati Tri-state Area Lost and Found Pets and Lost and Found Pets Cincinnati.
- In Cincinnati, we even have a Pet Detective that can help in the search.
- Try online message boards or databases like this one.
3.) BEWARE OF HOLIDAYS
Please keep you pets safe, indoors & secure over this holiday weekend. Fourth of July is the #1 day for animals to be lost and injured in America.
4.) SHARE AN UPDATE
And finally, once your pet is found, please EDIT or remove your original post so that everyone who has shared knows the pet is home and won’t continue to share. This will help to declutter the airways and allow people to focus on finding the ones still trying to find their way home.
If you’re lost pet is part of the My Furry Valentine Family, you may also want to post a note about it on our private Facebook group. Just remember, we want to see the happy photos when you’re reunited too! Best of luck… losing a loving pet is a terrible feeling, but there are plenty of angels out there who will be happy to step up and help in your search.
