What to do if the dog is lost?

In order for the search result to be most effective and not long in coming, the situation must be taken under control. Follow our instructions – it will help you not to get lost in this difficult situation.

1. Try to calm down. In the first hours after the loss of a dog, every minute counts, and stress will only distract from the main thing – the first steps towards returning your beloved dog home.

2. Call friends and family – to everyone who can quickly come and help with the search, and to those who have the opportunity to make announcements, print and distribute them.

3. Wait for the helpers to arrive. The dog may return to the place where you broke up, so there must be a familiar person there.

4. Together immediately go look for a pet. Split up. Feel free to call the dog as loudly as possible. Show a photo of your pet to passers-by on printed ads and on the screen of a mobile phone.

5. Check every meter carefully. A frightened animal could hide under a car, behind stairs or garages, in the bushes, run into an open basement. Shine a flashlight into dark corners.

6. Try to talk to people working in the area. Employees of shops, restaurants, banks, janitors – everyone who spends some time on the street every day and can notice your dog will be useful in this difficult task.

7. Tell the locals about the loss. Children and adults accompanying them, women with strollers, the elderly, dog owners are usually more likely than others to be outdoors and watch what is happening around. They will definitely notice if an unfamiliar dog is running nearby.

8. Come back home if after a few hours the search was unsuccessful. You must rest and gain strength for further work. Your cheerfulness, attentiveness and determination are the main tools of the search operation.

9. Use the internet. Today, the most effective work is done in social networks. Write to groups dedicated to your city or area where the dog was last seen, and to groups of neighboring areas. Perhaps someone has already picked up a lost pet and is trying to find you.

10. Find addresses and contacts of all dog shelters and public trapping services in your city (or, if you live in a small community, the closest). Call them or write. Be sure to include your dog’s brand number (a tattooed number usually located inside the dog’s ear or belly).

11. Print out missing listings with information about your pet and your contact details. The ad must be bright, clear, understandable and noticeable. The font should be large and legible so that it can be distinguished from a distance. The photograph of the pet must be of high quality. Remember that the more ads you put up and distribute, the more likely you are to find a dog.

12. Put up ads not only in the place where the dog was lost, but also within a radius of several kilometers. Use trees, fences, house walls. Pay special attention to playgrounds, schools, clinics, pet stores, veterinary clinics.

13. While your helpers are walking around and calling out to the dog, visit in person shelters and points where homeless animals are taken (“catchers” do not transfer dogs to shelters!). Face-to-face communication with shelter workers will increase the chances that your dog will be recognized and returned if she is there.

If you find a dog on the street that is clearly domestic and lost, and you were able to catch it, do not get lost and use our tips:

1. Many people want to help get their pet back, but don’t know how. Finding a chipped dog if it is lost is easier. If you have a purebred dog in front of you, then it most likely has a microchip. She needs to be taken to a veterinary clinic (it is better to find out in advance about the availability of a scanner that will allow this chip to be read). After a simple procedure, you will receive the owner’s details and be able to contact him.

2. Check for a token. Perhaps there is a token on the animal – usually the owner’s contacts and address are indicated on it.

3. Find a stamp with a number and call the RKF. The staff of the federation will check it against the database and will be able to help with the contacts of the owner or breeder.

Many people wonder how to find a lost dog in a city where there are thousands of people, houses and cars. Repeat these steps daily, check the news on social networks, call the services, and you will succeed.

Photo: Collection