Discovering that your pet is lost is frightening. There are several things you
can do right away to help find your pet.
If your pet is a small animal lost inside your house,
he may not be able to find water to drink. Leave his cage open in case he comes
back for water.
Be sure he can reach the cage by placing it on the floor or supplying a safe
ramp. Check around other sources of water as well as appropriate hiding
places. Reptiles will seek out warmth. Rodents will look for a dark hiding
place with soft, chewable nesting material. Birds will be up high unless their wings are
clipped and they are not able to climb. In which case they can become trapped
behind furniture by fluttering against a wall and sliding down. Listen for
sounds of your pet moving around at night and in the early morning.
If your pet escaped from the house, try to imagine what may have attracted your pet's attention; children playing, other
animals, a hiding place or source of food. This may give you an idea about where to start looking. If your pet has an ID tag with your phone number, connect an answering machine to your telephone
right away so you won't miss any important messages.
If you are away from home
when your pet is lost, stay in the area as long as possible. Leave something that belongs to you or your pet close to where your pet was last seen. If he comes back and finds a sock or jacket of yours or his cage, he may wait there for you to return. Come back as often as possible. Ask
friends to check for you.
If you do see your pet but he will not come to you, do not chase him. Kneel or sit down and see if he will come closer. Open some food wrappers and pretend to eat, or lie down and pretend to sleep.
Avoid eye contact. Jingle the car keys (IF he likes the car) or play with a toy that he likes. Try to keep him in view without running after him.
If you leave food and return at the same time each day, you may be able to
establish a schedule that will help you catch your pet.
Use other pets to attract your pet. If he has a companion that you can put outside in a cage or take along on a leash, do so. Leave a route into your
house open for your pet, such as a pet door or even an open window, if that is safe, in case he comes home while you are out.
Make signs that say "LOST PET". If you have a photo of your pet, put it on the original sign and
make copies. The shorter the message, the more likely someone can read it while passing. Many people will not know your pet by breed or sex so describe your pet by color and
size instead. "LOST PET. Medium sized brown and white dog. Please call
XXX-XXXX" is all you need to include. Be sure to put your phone number on the sign.
If you offer a reward do not specify an amount. Post signs in stores and at traffic intersections.
Be sure to post signs both in your own neighborhood and the one in which your pet disappeared.
Ask schools to make an announcement to students. Children will be likely to see and remember your
pet if he is in the area. Ask your mail carrier and trash collectors. Tell everyone you can. The more people who hear of your lost pet, the more likely you are to get him back.
Call pet stores and veterinarians in your yellow pages. If someone
finds your pet he may inquire at a pet shop while buying
supplies. If your pet is hurt, someone may take him to the doctor. Go to local animal shelters as often as possible. Some pets will be mistaken for other breeds so a telephone description is not enough to know that your pet is not in the shelter. Check
with the office staff about pets that were found but not brought in to the
facility.
Check with local animal rescue leagues to see if they think your pet could have been stolen. Sometimes several pets in one neighborhood disappear at the same time.
If you believe your pet has been stolen, make a police report. If the
animals are found, the police will know how to find you.
You may want to call county road services to find out if any pets
hit by cars were picked up on the road. This is an unpleasant thought but you may feel better knowing what happened even if it is bad news.
Place an ad in local papers in the classified "LOST" section. Local
newspapers, radio stations or even TV stations may carry lost pet
announcements. Check the classified "FOUND" column. There is variation in
what people describe as Calico or Tabby, Hound dog or parakeet. Respond to any ad that could be your
pet but expect some false alarms. Don't be discouraged if someone who found a pet says he doesn't
respond to your pet's name.
Your pet may not answer if called by a stranger. Some dishonest people will call to say they have found your pet and ask for money for expenses. If you can not get your pet first, you should not give anyone
money.
Offer to pay shipping companies or phone bills directly if necessary. Anyone who really has your pet will
be happy to make these arrangements.
Losing a pet is sometimes more difficult than accepting the death of a pet. It is hard to wait to find out what has happened to your pet and difficult to accept that you may never know. Try to remember that there are a lot of caring organizations and people that assist stray animals. The more of these you come in contact with, the sooner you will find your pet.
Don't give up. I know of pets found after 10 months away from home.
PREVENTION
Pets become members of the family very quickly. We can't stop every accident from occurring, but some of the things we take the time to do now, will help
when accidents happen.
Temporary ID collars can be made from waist band elastic and a laundry pen
for animals that can safely wear collars. Elastic is safer to wear all the time than
a chain collar and will not damage a pet's fur. Tie the elastic with a knot that will not slip so that your hand can just fit between it and your dog or cat's neck. Do not connect a leash to an elastic
collar. You may also write your phone number on
a flea collar if your pet can wear one.
Keep tags up to date and keep more than
one in case a collar is lost. If you have a vacation home, have your pet wear
a tag for each address. Have your pet licensed with the local animal control
agency at both addresses. Choose a phone number
for the tags that alerts a pager or answering machine when you are not
available. You may tattoo your pet or a
have a vet place a computer chip under your pet's skin. Keep your phone number up to date with licensing agencies,
tattoo and chip registry companies. Make note of any tattoo or a bird's leg band and keep them in a safe place.
Keep a recent picture of your pet. Keep screens, gates, and doors closed and in good repair. Keep your
pets indoors when you expect service people or storms. Know where your pet carriers and leashes are in case of emergency, such as fire or flood. Don't feed your cats until they come in for the night.
Better yet, build a cat enclosure so they can enjoy the out of doors safely.
Teach your pet to come when called. All dogs, cats, birds, and even most small mammals can be taught to associate a word or whistle with a favorite treat or game. Use a flashlight or a hand signal if your pet cannot hear. If you always come through with the reward, your pet will be
likely to come to you when you give this signal, even if he is frightened.
Keep
bird wings clipped and remember to take
a bird off your shoulder when you answer the door. Teach talking birds to say your name. Some people teach their birds a phone number.
Keep pets in carriers while they are in the car. Even if your pet is normally obedient, a car accident may cause him to run away. Emergency personnel will often transport your pet if he is in a carrier. Put emergency phone numbers on the outside of carriers.
When your pet travels by air, follow all regulations. Be sure the carrier is in good repair. If you have a physically strong pet, try out the carrier at home first. Many dogs and parrots can open any latch that a person can open.
THE DEATH OF A PET
When a pet dies we lose a member of the family. When you suffer such a loss you may feel a range of emotions from anger and guilt to numbness and sorrow. The feelings get easier to handle with
time. You may decide not to have another pet or you may want to share your life with a new pet right away. You may
want a pet as much like your old pet as possible or you may consider a pet of a completely different kind. All of these decisions are up to
you and time is on your side.
It is very important to remember that no matter how your pet died, whether
he was lost, had an accident, or became ill, you would never intentionally harm your pet. It may help if you talk about your feelings with someone else who has pets.
Sadness at losing a pet is so common that there are bereavement counselors that specialize in helping people cope with loss
at veterinary teaching hospitals and at the Animal Medical Center in New York.
Unfortunately, our pets do not live as long as we would like. The time we can spend with them is a gift that does not
last long, but the memories of that special gift last a lifetime.
