Help and advice if you have lost your pet
Whether it is a just few hours or a few weeks that your pet has been missing, it can be very difficult to stay positive. However, there is a lot you can do now, and a variety of ways that we can support you in being reunited in the shortest possible time. There are three types of activity to focus on - we call them the three P’s – publicity, patrolling the area, and practical measures.
1. Publicity
In our experience, this is crucial to reuniting lost pets with their owners. The key to success is informing as many people as possible in as wide an area as possible
REMEMBER! if your pet is insured, your policy may include help with advertising and reward costs – we have arrangements with most of the leading pet insurers, and may be able to offer you additional support with publicity, at no cost to you.
Please phone us on 01432 761 406 as soon as you can for more details about this, and we can discuss the arrangements we have with your particular insurer. We are open from 9am – 9pm, seven days a week.
Internet
If you have not already done so, register your pet’s details here on this site, free of charge. It will just take a few minutes, and is an important first step in spreading the word
Posters
The more the better - on lamp posts, phone boxes, bus stops, in cars, pubs, shops, supermarkets etc. Include a photo and a telephone number
Flyers
Another great way to spread the word – post them through letterboxes in your street and the surrounding area. With permission, you can also leave them on the counter in local shops, or on car windscreens in the car park etc
Professionals
Advise local ‘pet professionals’ such as vets, pet rescue centres, and dog wardens. If your pet is chipped, also contact petlog, or your microchip database – they should be able to notify you if anybody tries to change the details.
2. Patrolling the area
When you register your lost pet on our site, we will inform our pet patrollers in your area, who will keep an eye out on your behalf.
Professional Search and Rescue Team
Often, existing commitments with work, or family responsibilities mean that owners are not able to spend as much time searching their local area as they would like. Similarly, many people welcome the opportunity to have some professional support with their search. Our experienced Search and Rescue Team (link) operate throughout the country and can offer vital assistance when you need it.
Please phone us on 01432 761 406 for more details. We are open from 9am – 9pm, seven days a week.
Walk the streets
This is something that you can do straight away. Call out your pet’s name, and listen for any response – it may be that they are trapped, and can’t get back to you as they normally would
Knock on doors
Speak to neighbours to alert them to the fact that your pet is missing – the more people keeping a look out, the better. Most pets that go missing are found very close to home. We receive many reports from owners who go on to find that their cat has been in a neighbour’s house unnoticed for a while – particularly if there are rooms which are not used on a daily basis.
Search sheds, garages and outhouses
If you are able to do this yourself, your pet may be more likely to respond to a familiar voice
Other pet owners
Ask local dog walkers to keep a look out while they are in your area
Vacant properties
Are there any empty buildings, or properties being refurbished that your pet may have slipped in to, and become trapped? Have a look through the letterbox if you are able to
Holiday hazzard
If any of your neighbours are on holiday, it’s worth checking to see whether your pet may have become trapped in their house before they locked up – it is surprising how many pets mysteriously re-appear after the ‘two week wait’ when a neighbour returns from holiday
Community buildings
Are there community buildings nearly – sometimes these can be locked up for a period of time, without the key holder realizing that a pet has slipped inside
Skips / abandoned vehicles
Empty or part full skips, and abandoned vehicles can be hazards for pets who sometimes become trapped
Above ground level
Look up as well as down – trees, scaffolding etc, can be sometimes be intriguing for inquisitive pets
Delivery personnel
It can be well worth having a chat with local postman, delivery workers, taxi drivers, bin men workmen etc - leave them a photo of your pet and a phone number to ring if they see anything
Food sources
Hungry pets have been known to appear at the back of restaurants, or anywhere else where they might find food
School children
School children are usually eager to help, and often spot clues that adults may miss – pop some flyers into your local school, and request their support
3. Practical measures
If your pet has become disorientated, either following an accident, or having eaten something that wasn’t intended for them, it can be much more difficult for them to find their way home. There are a number of things that you can do to help them, if this is what has happened.
Familiar smells
Leave out food or a familiar toy – this can help them to sniff you out. Similarly, an unwashed item of clothing, or one that you have sprayed with a distinctive ‘home’ smell such as perfume can help
Vacuum cleaner magic
Empting the contents of your vacuum cleaner bag in the garden can also be surprisingly effective – pets can pick up on the scent from some distance
Litter leads the way
Even depositing the contents of your cat’s litter tray outside the house can give them a familiar scent to lead the way home
You may find it useful to look at our free advice videos for owners of missing pets:
Youtube Video: If your posters and leaflets have not brought the news you were hoping for about your pet...
(Scroll down for missing DOG advice video)
