The first 24 hours after a pet goes missing are C-R-I-T-I-C-A-L. It's a well-documented fact that immediate actions play a large role in a successful recovery. Steps to follow:
C - Calmly read our info and plan your search
R - Reach out to friends and gather volunteers
I - Immediately create a flyer
T - Tag your vehicle to alert local residents
I - Inform all neighbors about your missing pet
C - Choose helpers to "walk and talk"
A - Add your lost pet info to Craigslist and bulletin boards
L - Look local by contacting area businesses
One of the things which generates much dialog on our Facebook page is people becoming outraged over something. Topics such as a found animal not being reported correctly raise a firestorm of comments, and recently we had such a post. In the case this past weekend of the medium-sized brown/white dog, we shared the post and stated we did not have details about what had been done or if the owner was being searched for, but that the dog had been re-homed. Once the finder visited our page and commented with extra info, we were able to update the posting with details. It turns out that they DID in fact contact animal control, file a found report, reach out to local area vets and have the dog scanned for a chip.
The dog is now in a home, which the finder has stated is temporary should the owner be located. While we encourage everyone to wait as long as possible before re-homing (a week is ideal), It is JUST AS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO CORRECTLY ADVERTISE YOUR LOST PET. There's a fine line here between stray holds only being 2-3 days and us knowing that many reunions, especially pets missing from out of the area, etc can take 4-7 days. That's why we encourage as much time as possible but again, stray hold is often 48-72 hours only.
IF YOUR PET IS MISSING: you need to plaster that info everywhere. Right away!! No excuses. We cannot understand why some folks wait 3 days before posting about a lost pet because by then they could be dead, re-homed, given away or sold.
Always contact local shelters and animal control for your area immediately. File a report with the agency that picks up and holds "found as stray" animals, fax them a flyer and then follow up by checking daily IN PERSON. Not just looking at online listings - go and look for yourself.
Here is a post from Pure Gold Pet Trackers on the importance of acting quickly:
Do not delay in getting your flyers up and spreading the news because if your pet is found the last thing you want is for someone to not see your efforts and after several days, find the animal a new home. This works both ways: both situations involve making an effort to do the right thing as well as acting quickly: "Immediate action is your best chance of recovery".
Lost Pet PR | Established in 2011 to serve the Delmarva Peninsula area, we nowfocus on Sussex County, DE | Worcester County, MD | Virginia's Eastern Shore
