PREVENT LOST PETS

We receive numerous inquiries from people who have lost or found a pet. In response we offer advice through our lost pet guide and alert our vast membership via e-mail and our Facebook page.

Missing Dog or Cat?

It is crucial to take immediate local actions and get the word out about your missing dog or cat. Talk to neighbors, veterinarians, shelters and animal control wardens, pet stores, and prepare fliers to post at local locations.

  • Make sure your neighbors know your pet is missing and give them your telephone number.

  • Post "missing pet" fliers around your neighborhood, especially in the windows of local stores and veterinary offices. Make sure to include a photograph, description, and contact information. Offer a reward if you can even $10 can be a good motivator. When you provide your flier, talk with area veterinarians, groomers, and others about your missing animal in case they receive a call.

  • Call your local animal control office daily.

  • Visit your local animal shelter to see if your pet has been turned in to their office. Many animals are difficult to describe over the phone, and only you really know what your pet looks like.

Online Search Methods

While posting fliers and talking to people is essential, don’t forget to try attracting your lost dog or cat back home. Try leaving a shirt or pair of shoes you've worn on the porch; your scent will be released when the wind blows. For missing dogs who love the company of other dogs, enlist the help of a friend and their dog(s) to help in the neighborhood search. Don't give up! Many people will not take a pet to an animal shelter in hopes of finding the owner or with the thought of keeping the animal.

Found a Lost Animal?

Check to see if the animal has an identification tag. If so, try to contact the owner or veterinarian. If the tag has vaccination information but no phone number, call animal control and ask them to look up the identification number on the tag. This should get you the telephone number of the animal's owner.

Do a quick examination — if the animal is agreeable. See if the animal has a tattoo, which usually will be found on the abdomen, inner thigh, or ear. If you find one, check with the following to see if the pet is registered.

1. Your county or city animal control office

2. National Dog Registry: (800) NDR-DOGS

3. Tattoo-A-Pet: (800) 828-8667

Post "found pet" fliers in your neighborhood. The text should be large and dark enough for someone in a car to read while driving by. Include the type and breed of animal, whether it's a male or female, is an adult or youth, any distinguishing characteristics, and a telephone number at which someone can be reached at all times. You can also place an ad in your local newspaper. Found pet ads are often free.

Look for "lost pet" signs around your neighborhood and ads in local newspaper(s).

Be sure to post on your local Front Porch Forum and the pet section of Craigslist. If you live in Vermont, also post on Lost and Found Animals of Vermont.

Call a local veterinarian to see if (s)he or another veterinarian can do a free scan for a microchip. If one is found, it should provide the information you will need to return the animal to its his or her.

Call all local shelters and animal control facilities to see if they've received a call from the animal's owner.

Prevention is the Best Cure: Long Term Solutions

Dealing with an animal escape artist can be confusing. Once you find your dog or cat, ask yourself, what caused him/her to go missing. Was s/he startled? Was there a new addition to the family like a new animal or child? Or does your furry friend simply have a strong urge to dart outside and explore? There are ways to address those behaviors and adjust your home environment to respond to these situations. Sometimes providing more stimulating environments can help prevent boredom. To reduce opportunities for the escape artist, think about how your home could be made safer to prevent ongoing risks. Contact us to be put in touch with a cat and dog behavior counselor.

Identification and Safety

All cats and dogs should wear a collar with a current license and rabies vaccination tag at all times. For added safety, an identification tag that clearly displays your name, address, and day / night telephone numbers, and the pet's name, should be worn. For cats, use a collar that has a short piece of elastic sewn into it. Such collars prevent cats from becoming trapped if the collar gets caught on a window blind, furniture, fencing, or some other object. Tag your cat even if you never let him or her outside. Indoor cats can slip through open doors quickly and easily become lost. Microchips, tiny electronic capsules that can be encoded with information about a pet and embedded under the animal's skin, can be read at the many animal shelters, veterinary facilities, and other locations that have a microchip scanner.Keep all pets indoors during thunderstorms and other severe weather, and on the Fourth of July and other firework celebrations, even if your pets are normally kept outside. Many pets become spooked by firecrackers or thunderstorms and will run away when exposed to these stressful stimuli.Take clear photographs of your pet. Note any distinctive markings or scars that make your pet easy to identify.

Spay/Neuter

If your animal is not spayed or neutered, he or she will have a tendency to roam in search of a mate. Roaming animals are often lost, injured, or even killed. Spaying and neutering is crucial not only for this reason, but to help reduce overpopulation and reduce your pet's likelihood of contracting certain cancers.

Dogs

Do not let your dog roam. Even well behaved dogs face risks outside, so never let a dog roam unattended. Fence your yard so your dog can't escape. If your yard isn't "dog-proofed," make sure that your dog is kept on a leash when in the yard. Always keep your dog on a leash when out for a walk. 

Cats

GMAD recommends cats be kept indoors only. Cats allowed to roam freely often pay with their lives. If you choose to let your cat roam freely, it is vital that they be used to your home and the surroundings. For new cats or kittens or if you have moved to a new home, wait at least three weeks before introducing them to the outdoors, and only once you feel they are completely comfortable in your home. Otherwise they risk not returning since they will not recognize your home as their home. Like everything else, this step must be taken slowly and carefully.

Indoor Cats

Timing is crucial when you've realized your indoor cat has slipped outside, because there are so many factors that pose serious threats to them from cars to predators. Once outdoors, your cat will most likely stay close to home (assuming s/he is spayed/neutered) and hide under a porch or car. Remember, even if your indoor cat recognizes your voice, s/he may not respond because cats’ instincts tell them it's safer to remain quiet and not attract attention from predators.

Tips

  • Indoor cats often hide, and may be closer than you think.

  • Sprinkle your cat’s used litter around the property, which may coax him/her back home.

  • The best time to look for a lost cat is between midnight and 4 AM, when they are most likely to come out of hiding.

  • Setting a large Hav-a-Heart trap may help you catch your missing companion. Contact your local animal shelter or GMAD to see if you can borrow one. You should never leave traps unattended for longer than an hour.

  • Try leaving a baby monitor near the porch (or near the Hav-a-Heart trap) to alert you to your pet’s return and help you respond immediately.

  • See additional suggestions below, which also apply to missing indoor cats.

Outdoor Cats

If your cat is not spay/neutered, then it is very possible that that s/he is roaming in search of a mate. Roaming can pose various threats to cats from encounters with other territorial cats to cars. Cats who have gone missing are oftentimes found in trees after being chased by a dog or other threat, so be sure to look up when searching your neighborhood.