Lost Dog

If you have been in the pet game for a while, you have likely experienced the lost dog scenario at least once. It’s not a pleasant situation to say the least. The family dog is a member of the family and if a family member doesn’t make it home on time, stress and fear ensues. The good news is that most of the time these situations end well with the dog safely returned to home. Still, it’s important to act quickly when you find that a pet is missing.

As soon as you realize that a dog is missing, you must take action. Your first action should be a quick drive around the block. Dogs often wander from home, but they rarely go very far. Most of the time you will find the dog well and happy on a big adventure. If after a few unsuccessful trips around the block you still haven’t seen the dog, it’s time to take the next step.

It’s important to contact local animal control and animal shelters to let them know that the dog is missing. Hopefully the dog had tags that identified him and you. If not, make sure the shelters have a good description and a way to contact you.
Once you have alerted the shelters, you need to organize a wider search. Alert your neighbors and post signs with the dog’s picture and description. Quite often, especially if the animal has dog collar or no ID, a family will have taken him in as a stray. A small reward can up the incentive for strangers to get involved.

Even though you alerted the shelters to the dog’s disappearance, it’s still a good idea to take a look yourself. The shelter workers are busy and may not have time to identify every lost dog. Many shelters have websites where they display recently found dogs. Don’t forget to check adjacent communities since lost dogs are often found far from home.

Though most pets are returned safely in a matter of hours or a couple of days, some are not. If you have children, you need to slowly prepare them for this possibility. This is a good time to teach them about such things as hope, reality and acceptance. If all goes well, you will be able to see a happy ending, but this is not guaranteed.

As a last resort, check with the shelters for reports of dead animals. Many shelters keep track of these things and have a sort of obituary list. This is not something one hopes to have to do, but it can at least provide closure and let the family get on with the grieving process.