I will be the first to admit that although I am an obsessively
insane animal lover, but for a long time I could not bring myself to join any of
the local “Lost Pet” Facebook pages. Seeing
lost dog/cat flyers break my heart to the point that I feel the person’s pain emanating
from a post or flyer.
I will say however that whenever I see a dog or cat
roaming I make every attempt to capture them, many successfully, others not,
and have reunited many them with
owner(s).
A few months ago a Facebook friend had tagged me in a “Found
Dog” post in our neighborhood. I shared it as I always do when I see these
posts. Later that morning I was at Starbucks and saw a flyer for a missing dog
named, Sheila, that looked exactly like the found dog. I pulled off a tab and immediately
called the owner. She told me that sadly Sheila was found dead, hit by a car. I
expressed my sincerest remorse, she told me that it was tragic, but she was
glad to know, she said, “It’s the not knowing that is the scariest part
of losing a pet.” I couldn’t stop thinking of this woman… I emailed her
the next day to ask for her address and I sent her a card with the Rainbow Bridge
poem in it and personalized memorial frame that read, “Paw Prints in Heaven, Paw Prints on my Heart…Sheila.” I never
did hear back from her, but I hope it helped heal her heart (site below).
I am writing this blog post because in the past few
weeks, several friends have lost dogs and my heart breaks for them with each
passing day that they are missing. Pets are like children to so many of us and I
know I would be debilitated if one of my loved ones were missing. So, I want to
share some insight and tips around the feelings associated with losing a
pet, resources
to find a missing pet, and preventative ways to help ensure
your pet doesn’t get lost in the first place.
1.
Don’t
blame yourself!
Normal feelings that make us human… Shame, guilt, anger at oneself. I never encourage anyone to push away their feelings because feelings are very real and it is important to acknowledge them. However, with that said no matter how your pet got lost, DO NOT blame yourself. Life happens, we can think we have control over things but we don’t. As tempting as it may be, try not to replay every single thing you think you could have done differently over and over again in your mind-- that won’t change things. Forgive yourself, accidents happen and you had no intention of losing your pet, clearly they are a loved part of your family for which whom you are spending every second you have searching for.
Ever since I was a kid I believed in Telepathy: the transmission of information from one person to another without using any of our known sensory channels or physical interaction.
Go to a quiet space, maybe even lie in your dog’s bed, and quiet your mind and surroundings. Wait until you feel a connection to your pet and then speak to him or her. Tell him how much you miss him, how you haven’t stopped thinking about him, and how you wish he would come home. Visualize your dog home safe and sound. Also consider enlisting Worry Dolls… I use them for everything!
2.
What
to do when your dog goes missing
It takes a Village and with the large
community of Animal Lovers that Village is there to help.
Social Media
Craigslist (community section à pets) has all sorts of postings by people who have either lost or found pets.
Facebook: Make a flyer and post it on the various local, “Lost Pet” sites. I live in Baltimore and there are 2 that are very active (below). You can easily search Facebook for one in your community.
For the Love of Louie - Baltimore's Lost Dogs
Lost And Found Pets In Baltimore County
Ask everyone you know to share the status you post on your own page announcing your plea for help. Many people make their own Facebook Pages specifically for the purposes of rallying a group to locate the lost pet. An example is below…
Please Bring Harry Potter Home
Flyers
Flyer EVERYWHERE! Telephone poles, vet offices, shelters, pet supply stores, dog parks, and coffee shops and any other community bulletin boards that will permit. Also, hand out flyers to neighborhood kids (they will be especially motivated to look if there is a reward), Mailmen, UPS/FED-EX drivers (they are all driving around the area a lot), people on the street in the area the dog may have gone missing. Be sure to include a phone number, photo of the dog, and offer of a reward. A reward may motivate people in need of money to look for the dog (especially someone unemployed), and in the case that your dog was stolen, it may motivate the thieves to give it back. Always include, “no questions asked.”
Animal Shelter and Local Rescues
Go in person to fill out a lost pet form. When an animal is brought into a shelter as a found pet, shelters typically check the lost/found folder to see if there is a match. However, shelters are very busy places so it is important to actually visit the shelter as frequently as possible. Every state may be different, but in Maryland the law is that there is a 3 day “stray hold,” and if not claimed within that timeframe the animal becomes available for adoption.
Searching on foot
Local dog parks, alleys, woods, dumpsters behind restaurants, under cars. Some dogs are attracted to other dogs so bring your own dog along in the search if appropriate. And ALWAYS keep an extra leash with you – on you, and in the car. If you find the pet, DO NOT chase it. Always keep a distance and keep some yummy food with you and attempt to get the dog to come to you. Consider bringing squeaky toys as well.
Keep your dog’s food and water on your doorstep in the case that they find their way home. And if possible, set a trap on your porch.
Dogs Finding Dogs “is a group of Canine Search Teams with years of experience in multi-surface tracking of people and animals. All of our search teams continuously train several times a week to keep our dogs at the top of the charts when it comes to searches. “This is a local Baltimore Group but there may likely be similar groups in your area!
Pet Amber Alert: This is a service where local neighbors in the area receive a personalized recorded message about your pet immediately. For more information, visit:
3.
Preventative Measures
Microchips: While it is important that your dog (or cat) wears a collar and tag at all times, they can come off. “A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice. It consists of a tiny computer chip housed in a type of glass made to be compatible with living tissue. The microchip is implanted between the dog's shoulder blades under the skin with a needle and special syringe. The process is similar to getting a shot. Little to no pain is experienced - most dogs do not seem to even feel it being implanted. Once in place, the microchip can be detected immediately with a handheld device that uses radio waves to read the chip. This device scans the microchip, and then displays a unique alphanumeric code. Once the microchip is placed, the dog must be registered with the microchip company, usually for a one-time fee. Then, the dog can be traced back to the owner if found.” (courtesy of the below website link)
Any vet office or shelter can scan for a microchip so if someone brings your pet to a shelter they will be scanned and you will be contacted.
Collars and ID Tags
My favorite collar is the Martingale. A martingale is a type of collar that provides more control over the animal without the choking effect of a slip collar (i.e. a humane choke collar). Many dogs commonly slip out of their collar… A martingale collar is made with two loops. The larger loop is slipped onto the dogs neck and a leash is then clipped to the smaller loop. When the dog tries to pull, the tension on the leash pulls the small loop taut, which makes the large loop smaller and tighter on the neck, thus preventing escape. Properly fitted the collar will be comfortably loose when not in use.
If you prefer a traditional collar there are many companies which specialize in embroidered collars that display the dog’s name and owners contact info.
***Please
note that the sites I refer to for purchasing any of these products are not
paid endorsements, just some of my favorite items, based on my dog’s reviews!
Please
feel free to comment on this blog post with any other suggestions!
