1) ACT QUICKLY:
It is essential to follow these tips right away as most animals posted to our page are located within 24 hours. After 24 - 48 hours the chance for a successful recovery begin to decrease. Do not delay!!
2) CONTACT ANIMAL CONTROL:
This would be the local agency which handles lost/found pets in your county. Go to their website to file a missing pet report, fax them a flyer and follow up via phone call. Stay in touch with them and visit the facility in person every other day. Website for the state of Delaware: https://animalservices.delaware.gov.
3) UTILIZE SCENT ITEMS:
Place personal articles in the area where the pet was last seen to offer a familiar smell. Use items from your laundry such as socks, t-shirts, etc as well as the animal's bed or blanket which lead home from an area the pet may have been lost from, such as a nearby park. Also at this time: identify something which only the lost pet has been in contact with (not other animals), and place it into a Zip-Loc bag for storage. Should you require the services of a tracking dog you will have preserved a valid scent item for the tracker to work with.
4) TAG YOUR VEHICLE:
Utilize your car as a mobile billboard by lettering it with glass markers. This notifies the neighborhood and local residents as you are out searching. See details about tagging here.
5) FLYERS AND SIGNS ARE ESSENTIAL:
Create a missing pet poster to offer all the details about your lost animal. Include the following information:
city, state, cross street, nearby landmarks, brief description of the pet, your phone number. Post these immediately within a two mile area. In addition to the full page poster you can create a second document in Word, dividing the page into four smaller boxes. These mini-flyers are less costly to print and easy to hand out. For specifics on creating posters as well as links to free, online sites for making them, see our blog post What To Know About Signs and Flyers. NOTE: post a yard sign in front of your house. Someone who may have picked a wandering pet several streets away could drive by and locate you immediately!
6) BE SEEN ON FACEBOOK:
Set your posts and photos about the missing pet to “Public” so people can view them. If you have posts set to "Private" or "Friends Only" the public cannot see or share. Get the word out by changing your profile picture and cover photo to your pet's flyer; tag your friends and ask them to do the same.
7) ASK FOR VOLUNTEERS:
You will need help to complete all of these steps. Ask for assistance from friends, family and neighbors, and then designate specific people to handle each aspect of the search.
8) "WALK AND TALK":
There is no substitute for personal interaction and talking to local residents and neighbors. After posting your lost pet, get off the computer and outside to hand out flyers, post signage and communicate directly with as many people as you see. On a budget? Run off extra copies of the mini-flyers mentioned above and hand out the small versions while posting the larger full-page size on telephone poles, in retail store windows, etc.
9) ORDER A FINDTOTO.COM ALERT:
Use a robo-call service to quickly notify nearby homes and residents. While there is a fee charged by the company, these calls can be very useful to get the word out to individuals who are not online or do not use social media.
10) APPEARANCES CAN BE DECEIVING:
Avoid being too specific in your posts and flyers. Stating only "Lost Pappillon" for example, may not be helpful as many people are unaware what they look like. Use descriptive words such as "missing small dog, approx 10lbs, blonde/cream in color with distinctive large ears" to help paint a picture in the reader's mind. We can't even explain how many ways a certain dog breed can be perceived by the public, or could look completely different after being outside in the rain, or how a well-manicured small pet might appear completely different after weeks without grooming. Keep an open mind!
11) DON'T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT BEHAVIOR:
We often have owners who feel that they know exactly what their animal will do or how they operate. While that is often true, it may not apply to a fearful animal who finds themselves in a strange and frightening environment. These dynamics affect how they may run, hide, stay out of sight and even fail to recognize their owners! Understanding this behavior is essential to your search - read the blog post here "Why Do Not Chase is So Important".
12) STAY IN TOUCH:
Follow the posts on our page in case people have questions or comment with information or a sighting of your pet. Don't just put a picture of your lost animal on Facebook and forget to follow up.
13) DIVERSIFY:
Your #1 goal is to reach as many people as possible, quickly. Delegate someone to share the flyer to Facebook groups, community associations, online message boards and local business pages. Put an ad on Craigslist, send a person to local veterinarian offices, groomers and pet supply stores. In addition don't forget to:
- post lots of flyers within a 5-mile radius
- give flyers to local vets, groomers, nearby businesses, etc.
- put an ad on Craigslist and other similar sites
- remember to monitor both the "pets" and "lost and found" categories of local listing sites
- designate someone to post the flyer to Facebook pages of shelters, community sites, area businesses
- connect with your neighborhood through an email blast or online bulletin board
RESOURCES on our Facebook Page:
Search Considerations and Suggestions
Tips for Lost Pet Recovery
Facebook Notes about behavior, search info, etc
Searching for a Missing Cat
Lost Pet PR | Delmarva's Lost and Found Pet Network
"REUNITING FAMILIES IS OUR GOAL" | Serving
Delaware and the Eastern Shore areas of Maryland and Virginia
