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Help – my dog has gone missing!
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(preventative measures and what to do if this happens)
By Scotty Valadao – Canine Behaviourist - www.friendsofthedog.co.za
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Your worst nightmare comes true, you arrive home from work or holiday only to discover that your beloved dog is missing. What do you do?
Heavens forbid your dog has actually gone missing, here are some tips that may help in the recovery, plus we have given you a link to an article below about being prepared in case your dog does get out one day - prevention is always better than cure, even though you think this may never happen to you - accidents and mishaps do happen, as many of an owner has found out.
What to do:
* If you ever walk to visit a friend, go to their house
If you have not found your dog, then continue as follows;
Do try to determine how your dog got out, so you can prevent this happening in the future.
What to do:
- Determine if you dog is really lost, or cuddled up in a cupboard or a favourite place in the garden, perhaps having a good chew on something, and just not coming when called, or in a deep sleep. Check every single place you can think of, including sheds, garage, under car, each and every room in case he got shut in, and also check under beds and furniture if small breed. Sounds a bit strange, but this has happened to owners before.
- Start your search immediately, but before you do, ask yourself the following questions. as there is a good chance that you have gone into panic mode and not thinking clearly - leave somebody at home, preferably near the gate so that if they spot your dog they can call it and contact you - if more than one gate, have the person stand at one, and leave the other gate open.:
* Look in the areas where you normally go for a walk
* Try to determine how long your dog has been missing, which will help you determine the search area
* If you ever walk to visit a friend, go to their house
- If your dog has a Microchip and registered in a database, notify the organizing that runs the database, and notify them that dog has gone missing - ensure that your contact information is up to date.
- Ask neighbours if they have seen your dog and where
- Do a quick trip around surrounding neighbourhood, on both foot and car and calling out your dog's name. If nil, call in friends and family to further the search. Ensure they have top quality treats with them as well as a collar and lead. Dogs that have gotten lost are often panicked and may not approach, so use bribery.
- If you have a security neighbourhood watch, call them, arrange to send a picture, your contact info, and ask them to tell drivers to look out for your dog
- Phone all the surrounding vets and arrange to send them a picture and your contact info. Don't just phone your local vet, your dog may have been picked up and taken to another vet.
- Contact all the shelters in your own, and surrounding areas, as above, the dog may have been taken to one further away. Ask them if they would do a post on your behalf - many of them are more than willing to do this.
- As soon as you can, get on-line and post a picture, details and your contact info on all the Facebook Missing Pet pages you can find.
- Contact all the missing pet websites you can find on google in your surrounding areas and notify them.
- If you have a pure breed dog, get in touch with the Breed Rescues of your particular breed, giving them all the details.
If you have not found your dog, then continue as follows;
- Go to the shelters in, and close to your neighbourhood - don't just rely on a phone call. I have known people where they were told the dog was not there, only to go and visit and find the dog - their description of the dog and the breed or breed makeup was not what the shelter had thought.
- Start putting up posters in the neighbourhood, and may be a good idea to offer a reward. Include local shops, schools, vets and complexes in area and surrounding areas.
- It is also a good idea to have some flyers made and hand them out around the neighbourhood and if offering a reward, ensure put on flyer.
- Check the vets in area daily
- Check the missing pets websites and facebook pages several times a day
- If you have a local newspaper, put an ad in there and at the same time, have a look at their Found section
- There are some Animal Communicators that offer tracking of lost animals, if this is something that appeals to you, do give it a go.
- Don't give up, keep on looking!
Do try to determine how your dog got out, so you can prevent this happening in the future.