What to Do If Your Pet Is Missing

Advice on what to do when you realize your pet is missing.

When you realize your pet is missing, act fast. That ups your chances of bringing her home, says Kat Albrecht, author of The Lost Pet Chronicles.

• Make it easy. Someone who finds your pup can locate you if the pet has an ID tag. Consider a microchip implant if your pooch often wanders.
  
  
• Search high and low. Scared cats tend to hide, so search under cars, in drainpipes and on roofs.
  
  
• Create the perfect sign. Include a large color photo and write "reward" (even if you're only offering a few bucks, mentioning it will help) and "lost dog" or "lost cat." Include your phone number. Tape signs to telephone poles in a radius of 3-5 blocks for cats (3-5 miles for dogs), high enough for drivers to see.
  
  
• Call the experts. Check with animal shelters. Sadly, many pets are killed in traffic, so call local highway and animal control departments and ask if anyone has found a body that could be your pet. Find more tips at lostapet.org.

From Reader's Digest - September 2005

 

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