21st January 2012

DNA kits now in stock. Buy now to protect your pet and have a way of proving ownership should your pet ever become stolen. Gate signs also available to act as a very effective visual deterrent to thieves. The animal DNA collection and storage kits are currently available for Horses, Dogs and Cats. However, very soon we will be adding more to our range, so please see our section ‘coming soon’. For more information on pet DNA collection and storage kits please read on.
Unfortunately, many thousands of pets go missing or are stolen every year and it is vital that as responsible pet owners we take every precaution to make sure we get our beloved pets back safely and quickly.
DNA storage isn’t designed to completely replace micro-chipping, but it helps form part of a comprehensive pet identification program and gives you that extra piece of mind should anything go wrong. Micro-chips unfortunately can and do fail and bird rings can be removed, but your pet's DNA can’t break or be tampered with. In fact DNA storage has many benefits over micro-chipping, especially for small or delicate animals like koi and some reptiles.

22nd December 2011

Press release from Animal Search UK

Pet detectives visit Aldsworth

Animal Search UK’s professional team of pet detectives have launched an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Lilly, a 3 year old tabby cat owned by popular TV vet Joe Inglis in his home village of Aldsworth, Gloucestershire. Within hours of receiving photos of Lilly via their nationwide missing pet website and database, the team based in Herefordshire had designed, printed and personally delivered hundreds of leaflets and waterproof posters to Joe for distribution in the area he lives.

The team of pet detectives, led by former police officer Tom Watkins, who has over 18 years of investigation experience, is on standby to deploy their Missing Pet Search Team before the Christmas break if Lilly does not reappear within a week of her disappearance on Thursday the 15th December. They will be fully equipped with walkie-talkies, rescue traps, torches and police style patrol vehicles.

The company launched twelve years ago, and now has as many as 800 visitors a day to its free website, scanning the lost and found databases in the hope of being reunited with their missing pets.

As Watkins explains, “Most missing pets are found within a few miles of home – the challenge faced by owners, is making sure that as many people as possible know that their pet has gone missing, and encouraging them to be vigilant in keeping an eye out for them.”

“Unfortunately, work and family commitments often mean that owners don’t have as much time as they’d like to devote scouring the area looking for their missing pet, and this is one of the ways in which Animal Search UK can help. Our professional, uniformed specialist search teams can usually be at any location in the UK within 48 hours, to help owners find a missing pet.”

With Christmas approaching it would be a wonderful celebration if we can safely locate Lilly and make sure she is home with her family during this special time. Because people in the village may have left for a Christmas break there is a chance she has become locked in a neighbour’s house while they are away. Therefore door to door enquiries will focus on identifying those properties and making sure they are checked thoroughly.

Tom added; “As it happens the unique Animal Search UK - Missing Pet Search Team who operate all over the UK normally use Joe’s own brand of Vet’s kitchen pet food treats as one of the tools of their trade when trying to tempt and coax trapped pets from places where they may be or when discovering a frightened pet who needs to be reassured and rescued.”

Animal Search UK’s promised is that they will do all they can to leave no stone unturned in the search for Lilly. As Watkins explains, “We’ll make sure that we have as much background as possible before we commence our search. We’ll check details about her normal routine and usual patterns of movement in the area.”

“Armed with this background information, we’ll be ready for the search to commence in earnest. Our service combines systematic local enquiries (including door to door), with a thorough publicity campaign. Everybody we speak to will be informed of the relevant details, and left with information about Lilly and colour photos of her. Our team are fully insured to check sheds, outbuildings and garages etc (with the permission of the owner), and we will always make a request to do so, enabling us to be as thorough as possible in our investigation.”

Anyone with news, information or who has a sighting of Lilly should ring the Animal Search UK free confidential helpline on 0800 4 320 340 and quote case ref: 46877. Lines are open 24 hours a day and you can remain anonymous if you wish or email information to info@animalsearchuk.co.uk


Ends


For Press use only:
For further information, please contact Tom Watkins, Animal Search UK
www.animalsearchuk.co.uk
Office number 9am-9pm 01432 761 406
Mobile number 9am-9pm 0788 43 169 43
email: tomwatkins@animalsearchuk.co.uk

17th December 2011

Barney is a beautiful cat we conducted a search for and have just been informed that he is home safe and well, we love hearing good news. Please see below the owners testimonial:

'Hi there

Well, after 3 very long weeks and almost non-stop effort, Barney was finally brought home last night.

It was a lovely lady who lives in an area around 1.5 miles from our house that called me yesterday afternoon, saying a cat resembling Barney was running around lost in her neighbourhood. He drew her attention because of his 'odd' behaviour, plus of course the fact there aren't many cats out at the moment - we have had 2 days of snow here. She went home, read the advert we had put in the local paper (we hadn't yet reached that far with flyers and posters) and went back to check. She found him again and when she shouted his name, he seemed to respond.

We felt the description of his character if not his markings matched his, and so spent 2 hours searching to no avail. After an hour's break from the cold, we went back, and just as we were about to give up, Barney ran across our path. We chased him, gently, around a few gardens and eventually he started to run less and began to approach us. Once he smelled our scents, he finally came to us, we grabbed him, and brought him home!

The vet is pleased with him, he lost 700 grams and is noticeably smaller, but apart from that he's in surprisingly good shape
What a Christmas present. Thanks to all who helped in the search for Barney!'

17th December 2011

WHEN the owners of this ginger cat called him Dodger, maybe they should have named him Fare Dodger...

The 15-year-old tom boards buses for up to 10 miles, sits on passengers’ laps and gets off without paying. Drivers even know his home bus stop.

It all comes as a surprise to his owner Fee Jeanes, who lives near the bus station in Bridport, Dorset.

Mrs Jeanes, 44, said: “My daughter Emily told me one of her friends had seen him on the bus at Charmouth. I panicked and then the bus pulled up and he got off.

“That afternoon I saw Dodger climb on another bus and I rushed to tell the driver. She told me Dodger was always on there. Sometimes he sits in the middle of the road and waits.”

A spokesman for bus firm First said: “Given this cat is elderly we suspect it would be eligible for free travel, perhaps a bus puss.”

(This is a story from www.express.co.uk)

8th December 2011

Georgie the Cockatiel had been missing a whole 16 months and 3 weeks before his owner found him. They had more or less given up hope by that time but decided to do another leaflet drop in an area they thought Georgie may be.

Following the leaflet drop they received a call from a lady claiming to have heard a similar bird chirping in the local vets that had been found near a roadside, so naturally the owners contacted the vets in the hope that it could be Georgie, they were informed that the bird had been rehomed just 2 days previously and the adopter was not willing to bring the bird in for identification.

Following this, Georgie’s owners made contact with the police and in the end the adopter cooperated and the Cockatiel was brought into the vets for examination.

It was such a relief and huge shock to Georgie’s owners that after all this time the actually had found him.

This is yet another example of publicity however long after the disappearance can be absolutely vital in getting your pet back, and of course to never give up hope!

8th December 2011

Holly’s Story as told by her loving owner:

'Only a few days ago we were reading the happy tails section of Animal Search UK imagining what it would be like if we were reunited with Holly. In particular we remember reading about Misty surviving four weeks in a shed and it made us feel much better. At this point Holly had been missing for 5 weeks and although we were trying to stay hopeful we feared that we might never see her again. When Holly first went missing a local vet suggested the Animal Search website to us. After watching their video we were filled with hope and set about following all the advice.

We put posters everywhere, flyers through letterboxes and the rest. A good friend who works at the Post Office had passed the details onto all the post people who were looking for Holly. Family, friends, neighbours and many other kind people were looking for Holly. As each day passed we knew the chances of her safe return were becoming more unlikely but we were carrying on with the hope that no news is good news.

Last week we decided the last thing we had to do was to put an advert in the local newspaper. The ad went in on Thursday and on Friday morning we got a phone call. 'We have your cat on our farm'. This wasn't the first phone call that we had starting with that sentence so our initial instinct was to not get our hopes up. The farm is 12 miles away from our house but the gentleman was certain that the markings were identical and that he had our cat. So we drove to the farm and sure enough it was Holly. She had been living in one of the barns and every day went to visit the two men who worked on the farm and they had looked after her. It seems like a miracle that Holly had been so far away for 37 days and is now sitting on our sofa as if it had never happened.

It is such a horrible feeling when a pet goes missing but kind words and stories of hope got us through it. I wish everybody the happy ending that we had.'

8th December 2011

Clementine went missing from her home in Poole, Dorset on Saturday 10th April 2011 around 2pm in the afternoon. She was last seen sitting on the front path when her owner left to go out. Later that day it was soon understood that Clementine had been gone for an unusual amount of time, she was always a very homely cat who didn’t stray far.
A few days passed and still no news, so Clementine’s concerned owners distributed leaflets and posters and went door knocking throughout the area in the bid to gain some news or leads at least.
The local community were very helpful and really took an interest in Clementine’s case, checking their sheds and garages and anywhere where a cat could be hiding.
Rescue centres, vets, the council and various social media websites were given details of Clementine’s unusual disappearance.
Another week passed by and still no leads, the owner was so distraught and riddled with worry; thinking all the natural theories; ‘has someone stolen her.’ ‘has she been in an accident,’ and ‘is she stuck starving in a shed somewhere?'
More time passed by with many ‘dark’ days and a new companion cat was sought, not to replace Clementine but merely for companionship to fill the gaping hole Clementine had left.
In time more calls came in with possible sightings and leads, yet none anything solid. Until one call where a cat has been found wearing a lilac collar with Clementine’s I’d tag attached, Bingo… this had to be her!
And it was indeed Clementine; the owner was beside herself and burst into tears at the sight of her baby. They are now living happily together with the new addition and let’s hope will be for many years to come!
This is a heart-warming story and gives out the message that all publicity is good publicity and one must never give up hope, you can be reunited with your pet.

6th November 2011

If you haven't heard of the website Dog Pages then we would like to tell you a little about it, we find it very useful.
Dogpages is the most popular dog rescue site in the UK with up to 37,000 visitors every day. It is entirely non-commercial and aims to encourage more people to consider adopting one of the many thousands of dogs waiting for new homes in rescue centres and shelters throughout the UK and Ireland.
There is tonnes of information on rescue centres all over the UK with information on the many rescue dogs needing homes along with forums for lost and found dogs, training and events that are coming up and lots of doggy chatter.
ASUK is a huge fan and their website is most definately worth a visit!

22nd October 2011

We have had some absolutely wonderful news today, previously missing cat Boris was returned to his owner as a direct result of our publicity material. Since sending out our poster and leaflets to the owner and effective distribution of the campaign we had received numerous sightings of Boris around the Exeter University Campus. The owner thoroughly leafleted the area and today after an excruciating 18 day wait, we had a call from a lady who had spotted an A4 poster with anonymous phone number displayed and of course Boris’s photo and details and got in touch. Boris’s owner is absolutely ecstatic to have him home safely at long last, as we all are. We just love it when we have happy endings. Welcome home Boris!

21st October 2011

Our new 4X4 Search Team Vehicle is now ready for the road and all the upcoming winter searches. Last year we struggled due to the amount of snow to reach some owners, but we powered on through blizzards and sub-zero temperatures to ensure we reached every owner that requested help from our Missing Pet Search Team. There were cases where we rescued pets that would not have got through the freezing conditions had we not been at hand. This year we are well prepared for the snow and fully equipped and ready to get out there, nothing can stop us getting out and about to help distressed pet owners in the hunt for their lost cat or dog. We are all very excited and think the vehicle looks great!

20th October 2011

Each recipe has been designed to deliver key health benefits for your cats using carefully selected natural ingredients such as cranberry extract to maintain urinary tract health, omega 3 oils to help maintain healthy skin, coat & immune system and added essential amino acid taurine for cardiac health. These foods deliver the very best level of professional veterinary care for your cat and will help to ensure long term health and well being...

Vet’s Kitchen Adult Salmon & Brown Rice
Made with top quality British Salmon, brown rice and oats, Vet’s Kitchen Adult Salmon & Brown Rice is specifically designed to deliver high levels of omega 3 oils for a healthy coat and skin. Additional natural ingredients including cranberry extract to maintain urinary tract health, nucleotides to help maintain healthy immune system and added essential amino acid taurine for cardiac health ensure that this food delivers the very best long term health and well being for your cat.

Vets Kitchen Chicken and Brown rice.
Made with top quality chicken, brown rice and oats, Vet’s Kitchen Adult Chicken & Brown Rice is perfect for everyday health and vitality, especially in active cats. Additional natural ingredients including cranberry extract to maintain urinary tract health, nucleotides to help maintain healthy immune system and added essential amino acid taurine for cardiac health ensure that this recipe delivers long term health and well being for your cat.

20th October 2011

Why not follow us on Twitter @animalsearchuk and facebook (search for Animal Search UK). We have approaching 1000 followers on twitter and hundreds of fans on Facebook tell a friend today ! It could mean the difference between them getting their pet back or not if they go missing. Share this page with ALL your friends too. It can only be a good thing if more people hear about the valuable work we do each and every day here in the UK to help reunite thousands of Pets each year.

18th October 2011

We have one very happy owner who lost her cat Domino from Hemsworth, West Yorkshire on the 27th September 2011 and has been frantically searching for her ever since. We received a call today (18/10/2011) from a lady who had been browsing our free website and thought she had found Domino or a cat similar in Castleford, West Yorkshire. Details were passed between parties and sure enough it was Domino, the owner is delighted and Domino is very happy to be home at last after her journey.
It is so heart warming when we have happy endings and confirmation that our website and publicity brings results!!

15th October 2011

One Herefordshire pet owner and a team of Pet Detectives from Credenhill based Animal Search UK are celebrating after ‘Jazzer’, a dog allegedly stolen from outside a city Supermarket was finally reunited with her thrilled owner on Friday 14th October. After being missing for a total of 58 days, a nationwide publicity drive, extensive door to door enquiries by the Animal Search UK team in the area she went missing from , the 10 year old crossbreed dog was identified after being recognised and handed in to a local veterinary surgery. The exact circumstances of where she had been for all that time are still unclear but owner Einar Russell from Beattie Avenue says the most important thing is that they are together again.

Mr Russell went on to say “ We’re straight back into our routine, I’m very happy. People have been coming up to us in the street with tears in their eyes, beeping their horn when they see us in the street. It’s amazing. My thanks go to the Hereford Times, Animal Search UK, the BBC and all of the people who helped to keep my spirits up while she was away from home”

Tom Watkins spokesperson and Founder of Animal Search UK said “ I’ve never conducted an investigation where we have received as much interest from members of the public as this local case. Our teams of Pet Detectives travel up and down the UK dealing with over 1500 missing pet cases each month reported via our free  lost and found website. Almost every week  the case was open one of the team would be stopped whilst on duty in the city or driving to another job elsewhere and people would bring up the case of Jazzer the missing dog and enquire how the search was going. One national newspaper covered the story too . The posters and leaflets we produced, door to door enquiries carried out by my team free of charge as a favour for Mr Russell and stories on Facebook about Einar’s missing pet all helped to keep the case in the spotlight.

My personal motto is ‘Never give up’ and although as time passed we all had dwindling hopes of success we had a cheer in our office when we received the phone call to say Jazzer had been found. City based firm Cartridge UK owned by local entrepreneur Ali Briffett also assisted the search effort by providing the printing toner free of charge so that Animal Search UK could carry out the publicity at no cost to Einar”.

Ali said “ We’re pleased to have helped. I know the owner is one or our customers. I’m a pet lover myself and we supply Animal Search UK with all the consumables for their printers. I heard about this sad case and though I’d step in to help!”

The story which also featured in the Hereford Times while Jazzer was missing. Pictured here are:

Happy owner Einar Russell with Jazzer, Pet Detective Adrian Goodyear, Founder of Animal Search UK Tom Watkins and  Ali Briffett Owner of Cartridge UK Hereford.

7th October 2011

With the dognapping epidemic still of concern to UK Pet welfare organisations like ours; we are taking steps to raise awareness of the issue and publicise theft prevention tips to UK pet owners, with an article in the Daily Mail and BBC Breakfast inviting our founder Tom Watkins to appear last month the message is getting out there.

The latest current affairs show to help is Live with Gabby (Logan) on Channel 5. Today we filmed a very positive piece which with be broadcast soon. Celebrity vet Joe Inglis took time out from his busy schedule at Vets kitchen and his surgery to contribute to this important cause by presenting the film.

Remember Animal Search UK is Britain's leading authority when it comes to pet theft and missing pet searches. Thanks go to Channel 5 for their assistance with this important issue.

17th September 2011

A fun day was had by all @ the fun dog show expertly organised by Jez Rose to raise funds for his Responsible Dog Ownership Campaign. With everything from fire service search and rescue dogs to balance the biscuit on you dog's head competitions.
A fun day was had by all @ the fun dog show expertly organised by Jez Rose to raise funds for local animal charities.A grand totalof 3275 was raised:-) With everything from fire service search and rescue dogs to balance the biscuit on you dog's head competitions.

We we given a warm welcome when we arrived by Jez and later on our Specialist Missing Pet Search Team were presented with a vast selection of natural Vets Kitchen young,adult and senior dog food to use during our search and rescue missions up and down the UK. Thanks to Joe and Pets Kitchen and of course
Jez Rose .We wish Jez the very best and offer our continued support towards his campaign .

12th September 2011

Tom Watkins, Founder of Animal Search UK along with Your cat magazine Deputy editor Angie Lowe and sub editor Sarah Whittington will be sitting down to a feast fit for a feline, sampling some of the best super premium cat foods on the market.

From Organic Turkey Dinner to Chicken & Pumpkin flavours, which dish will they prefer and more importantly will they be able to complete their challenge and raise much needed funds for Tigertime, a worldwide campaign, launched by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation, to save the tiger from extinction?
No room for fussy eaters!

Tom Said "I'll do almost anything for such a worthy cause. We must stop this terrible destruction of one of the most beautiful species in our wildlife spectrum. I'll hope that many people sponsor this event and we can raise awareness- put pressure on the powers that be and halt this crime against nature"

Angie says: “With all the delicious sounding and, I have to admit, looking, ‘posh food’ you can buy for your cat now I started to wonder what they taste like. Some of them don’t smell half bad either! I never thought I would or actually be able to eat cat food but this is the challenge we face! I’m such a fussy eater and very squeamish but it’s for a fantastic cause!”

The Your Cat tucker trial will include a selection of dry and wet cat food, which will be featured in the magazine’s Buyers’ Guide in the November issue.

See the update at the bottom of this piece too

12th August 2011

We work closely with Madsa.org ( Missing Animal Search Dog Association) Here is an extract from their website

So, can a dog be trained to search for dogs, cats and other missing animals? Well, ask yourself how many things dogs have already been trained to find; the list is endless! Criminals, missing persons, drugs, explosives, even termites in buildings! They have also been trained to guide people with impaired sight, alert someone that a seizure is approaching, take laundry out of a washing machine, tell someone with impaired hearing that the doorbell is ringing and detect cancerous cells. As a faithful servant for thousands of years, the dog has dutifully completed all of these tasks to assist mankind...isn’t time for dogs to help animal kind? We think so! Through extensive training this is achievable and has been done in other countries around the world. However, until now, there has been no serious study in the UK. Our aim is to change this. We are exploring methods of training dogs to search for missing animals. Not many dogs wake up one morning and decide to search for heroin or TNT...they do so through intensive training! We aim to develop a training programme which builds upon a dog’s inherent skill to use their incredible sense of smell and tracking abilities to locate missing animals that are lost, trapped or injured and unable to get home. All dogs selected for training must first pass stringent assessments to ensure their suitability; there must be no evidence of aggression or fear around animals or people. This work is costly and funding is extremely limited. Our hope is that others will recognise the value of developing this service and support us in our aims. Training is well under way with the first of our Missing Animal Search (MAS) Dogs. All available funds contribute to these extensive training costs; we are unable to financially subsidise a MAS Dog to search for missing pets. If your pet is missing, you are welcome to contact us for further advice. All MAS dogs will live within a family home, they are not kennelled working dogs. Training methods are reward based. “As a show of appreciation to all the dogs that have served man over the years, in too many ways to mention, it is about time we returned the goodwill and trained dogs to assist animals at a time of need”

12th August 2011

We are pleased to have restocked with Loc8tors- now avaliable from us with free postage and packing. By purchasing from Animal Search UK you will be helping to support our FREE lost and found website. All for the same great price as buying from the manufacturer:-)

The credit card size handset makes it extremely easy to use where ever it's needed and will pick up the signal emitting from your Pets collar as soon as you press the locate button, provided you're in range. You can now know where your i.e. cat goes during the day and even if he gets
locked in a neighbours garage.


Pack Contents
1 x Loc8tor Pet handheld
2 x Mini Homing Tags
2 x Pet Splashproof cases
2 x Splashproof cases
Key ring loop and adhesive strips
Wall mount bracket
Multi-language user guide
All batteries included

Range - Up to 122m / 400 feet clear line of Site
Range will vary with depending on where and what it’s being used on.

For exact specification visit the manufacturers website and then come to us to place your order. 01432 761-406

12th August 2011

Animal Search Uk found this website. It's interesting and full of goodies.

At Dogs Naturally you will find a fantastic selection of high quality natural and organic dog food and treats, together with a range of accessories which fulfil all the everyday needs of your dog, as well as a great range of attractive dog themed gifts.

They are as passionate about your dogs as you are and their well-being matters to them a great deal. Consequently, you will find their range has been hand-picked and carefully chosen to be natural and chemical free.

Our pet shop for dogs range includes collars, leads, harnesses, dog beds, toys and more... not only do we have these but we also stock an all natural range of bathing products from Happy Tails Canine Spa as well as other various grooming products.
We have also incorporated categories specifically for your dog’s general health, dental health, joint health and safety, as well as training, travel and a collection of products that are particularly useful for dog owners.

The idea for Dogs Naturally came about from our existing dog crèche business. It is our crèche dogs together with our existing customers who have been very helpful in tasting or testing each of our products. As you can imagine we had no trouble finding willing volunteers!

You will be pleased to know that here at Dogs Naturally we haven't forgotten you and we are very excited about our large range of great gifts for dog owners and dog lovers. We hope you will like these as much as we do. We know that quality matters to our customers so with our gift range we have aimed to be both stylish and affordable.

11th August 2011

Starring the whole Animal Search UK team. The most exciting pet and animal rescue documentary for years is due to be shown for the first time ever on Monday 22nd August 2011 at 8pm on Channel 4.

The 'Cutting Edge' hour long programme has been filmed by award winning and highly acclaimed Roast Beef Productions who are based in London. The real life stories of dramatic rescues of missing pets and interesting investigations about stolen pets will provide a mix of intrigue, suspense and excitement for viewers.

Anyone who has a pet as part of their family will relate to the feelings of the people shown in this emotional series of stories. Owners who experienced the loss of a pet will be shown as they put their lives on hold to search for their lost 4 legged family members. Some of the cases are based on good old detective work while others will involve the specialist work of the UK's only uniformed Missing Pet Search Team - part of the UK's leading missing pet organisation, Animal Search UK - founded by former police officer, Tom Watkins, in 1999. The search team, and trusty volunteers from several local rescue groups working with Animal Search UK, respond quickly to situations as they unfold. They are equipped with two way radios, high powered torches, mobile incident command units, fast response patrol cars and good old 'nets'.

As part of the show they are involved in one of the largest searches ever seen in Europe for a missing pet called Spencer who, after being spooked yards from the busy M5 motorway in Worcestershire, ran from the service station he was at. Can he be rescued and saved from the dangers he is faced with? All will be revealed as the drama unfolds and Missing Pet Search Dog - German Shepherd (Max) from MASDA.org is scrambled by Animal Search UK to help with the massive search effort.

8th August 2011

One happy pet lover and a team of Pet Detectives from the U.K.'s leading missing pet search service Animal Search UK are celebrating the happy reuniting of Tess the cat and her owner Victoria Spurrier over 12 months since Tess disappeared in 2010. When Tess originally went missing a huge enquiry was launched involving local enquiries a poster and leaflet campaign and the use of Animal Search UK’s 24 hour telephone call centre.

Tom Watkins spokesperson for Animal Search UK said : ‘We never close any of our cases until the pets are reunited however as time goes on we do have to be realistic and we don't expect to find many cats after three months has elapsed. We were shocked and surprised to have the wonderful news that Tess was successfully reunited with her owner following a call to our centre this weekend. As it happens I took that call and didn't really hold much hope that it would be Tess that have been spotted however thankfully I was proved to be wrong and we are delighted to have played a part in this happy tail’.

Victoria Spurrier Tess’s owner said: ‘It was simply thanks to the poster campaign that Tessa was found I would like to thank animal search UK and the lady that found Tess and phoned the team to let them know where she was. I didn't think I'd ever see Tess again! It was a wonderful surprise and I am thrilled’.

Animal search UK deals with up to 60 missing pet each day on their lost and found website which is free to use www.animalsearchUK.co.uk . The organisation started in the Midlands by former police officer Tom Watkins in 1999 is to be featured in a cutting edge documentary on Channel 4 television on Monday, 22 August 2011 at 9 PM. Viewers will see the UK’s only uniformed Missing Pet Search Team in action throughout different parts of the country and see some exciting rescues that have not yet been seen. The website which is the most sophisticated of its kind in Europe allows members of the public to join as a Pet Patroller from the comfort of their armchair and laptop so they can help find missing pets that might be wandering in their our neighbourhood by keeping lookout.

For more details visit www.animalsearchuk.co.uk or if you’ve lost a pet call 01432 761 406.

15th July 2011

Animal Search UK, have stepped up their latest investigation by releasing a professionally filmed Crimewatch-style stolen dog TV reconstruction.

The founder of Animal Search UK Tom Watkins – a former police officer himself - hit upon the idea of the online appeal video whilst discussing the case with the little Border Terrier's owner Diana Webber. The reconstruction was filmed at the family home using a lookalike dog and actors.

Tom Watkins said: "As far as we know it's the first time this method has ever been used by anyone to track down a stolen pet."

Her two-year-old beloved pet Rufus disappeared from outside the family home in September 2010 and hasn't been seen since. Since then Diana and her husband Bill have spent an estimated £3,500 advertising in newspapers and magazines all over the UK.

They even fell victim to a conman who claimed to have information about the whereabouts of Rufus. After handing over £500 cash to the man at a late night meeting (which incidentally is half the £1000 reward on offer), the information he gave turned out to be false and led to nothing.

Now, having turned to Tom Watkins and his team of specialist missing pet investigators to handle the case, Rufus's family are optimistic for a positive outcome.

Diana said: "Rufus is our little dog, we desperately want him back. we'll even buy anyone who has him a replacement dog and give them a reward - no questions asked. All they need to do is contact Animal Search UK. Rufus is microchipped, we can prove he's ours! He might have been adopted by a family who are unaware he is missing from another loving family home."

Watch the reconstruction here.

15th December 2010

While Hereford continues to fight against difficult economic times, two local companies are working together and bucking the trend.

Credenhill based missing pet service Animal Search UK and city based Cartridge UK have both recorded more customers than ever asking for help finding missing pets or buying recycled ink cartridges during the last three month period.
As a result they have teamed up to offer Herefordshire pet owners some free help as a way of saying thank you to the general public and their customers.

This is in the form of 10 free professionally designed and printed missing pet posters for anyone who loses a pet in Herefordshire during the forthcoming Christmas period from December 15 – 31st.

The team of specialist pet detectives will design the posters and Cartridge UK will supply the print cartridges and paper free of charge.

Founder of Animal Search UK Tom Watkins and Cartridge UK (Hereford) owners Ali Briffett and John Hau said: “we’re really pleased to offer help to pet owners across the country if they are faced with the worry of having a missing pet during the cold weather expected during December.”

For more details and expert advice if you do lose a pet over the festive period owners can call Animal Search UK seven days a week on 01432 761 406 or visit www.animalsearchuk.co.uk the team will be happy to help.

Or you can visit Cartridge UK in Broad Street, Hereford 01432 268 872 to pick up a leaflet about the free service.

20th March 2010

Travelodge one of the UK's largest chain of hotels have turned to Tom Watkins our founder for help. As a pet friendly hotel they expected 300 pooches to stay at one of their hotels throughout the midlands during Crufts 2010.
Tom said: 'We are delighted to assist Travelodge with this initiative and it is refreshing to see a large chain of top quality hotels taking the needs of guests and their pets seriously' Read about the idea on OK magazine online

12th February 2010

Whilst on a search for Rocky- a missing ragdoll cat from Bradford, West Yorkshire. Two members of the search team, namely Tom and Jaimes were invited to appear on the Drivetime show by BBC LEEDS presenter Steve Bailey. We are pleased to report that after their 400 mile round trip, full search and enquiries- combined with the publicity provided by the BBC both on local radio and the news programme LOOK NORTH and the local newspaper the Telegraph and Argus that Rocky is now home safe and well. It is believed that he was trapped in a building and was released by someone prompted to have a look by the publicity in a locked building / shed / garage etc almost 4 weeks after going missing- watch the Happy tails section for the full survival story when he is well enough for a photo with mum.

His owner Sophia has asked us to express her thanks to the BBC in particular who showed an interest in the story and the pet detectives on the trail of the escapee. Animal Search UK are also very grateful for the help recieved with local publicity and raising awareness of the search. Tune in to 92.4FM, 95.3FM & DAB BBC Leeds to hear their great shows and local and national news reports.

31st January 2010

After a wonderful family Christmas- the Jenkins family from Hereford were looking forward to the New Year and the spring of 2010. When on the 28th December their festive spirit was shattered as Smokey one of their 3 family cats failed to return home as normal.

After contacting their vet 'The Laurels Veterinary Centre in Ryelands Street Hereford- they were advised to contact Animal Search UK. When Tom took the call in the HQ little did either the owner or Tom know about the Christmas adventure that Smokey was involved in. With temperatures plummeting to approx minus 5c his owners feared the worst and a search was mounted within days of Smokey first being put on this website. 2 team members Adrian (Our newest recruit) and Tom the founder of Animal Search UK braved snow and ice to visit approx 40 houses in and around the area that Smokey was missing from. The reaction from householders in the area was fantastic.

Tom said 'People were coming out wearing their slippers in the snow to open sheds, garages and outbuildings- the community spirit kicked in and the help we received on the day restored my faith in society' however after 2 days of searches, numerous posters and leaflets - there was no news apart from sightings of look-alikes in the general area.

Then out of the blue almost 4 weeks after disappearing a lady who used to work for Cats protection saw an unfamiliar cat in her neighbourhood which happens to be the other side of the City of Hereford. The next stroke of luck in this amazing tale was that she happened to still have a scanner for microchips. Smokey's sixth sense and luck was about to hit the jackpot and he approached and meowed to this lady who happens to be on of over 30,000 residents in the city of Hereford. He is chipped and it worked!!

The outcome is obvious and now as the photo clearly shows- Smokey the bandit is no longer on the run and back home in the warm with his family. It just proves that pets can make amazing journeys and as is often the case a chance encounter and a meow to the right person paid dividends!

The Jenkins family would like to pass on their thanks to Ann the kind lady who took it upon herself to scan Smokey, the team at Animal Search UK and their vet (The Laurels Veterinary Centre in Ryelands street Hereford)who recommended they make use of the FREE website provided here.

A great team effort, by everyone. Welcome home mate :-) By the way Smokey recommends the following lottery numbers 3, 5, 14, 24, 39 and 45

13th December 2009

An owner from Lincolnshire has gone to extraordinary lengths to try and trace her missing cat Oliver. He went missing in late October and hasn’t been seen at his farmhouse home since then. Sue his owner has made extensive enquiries and hired out the help of the Animal Search UK search team in order that she should leave no stone unturned. Hundreds of leaflets and posters have been displayed. Tom Watkins from Animal Search UK spoke on BBC Lincolnshire’s Drivetime show in order to plead to the public in the area for some news as to where Oliver might be.

Sue can be seen here with one of the latest advertising ideas from Animal Search UK. A board we’ve designed can be placed outside your house in your garden or at a local village shop, pub garden or even be carried throughout the village, town or area by an owner or a volunteer if necessary. Sue would like to take this opportunity via our website to thank Tesco Pet Insurance personally, they have paid for the professional poster and leaflet campaign and other advertising that has been carried out. In fact Tesco’s store in Canwick kindly agree to allow Sue and Tom from Animal Search UK to hand out leaflets to shoppers that may have seen Oliver in their area.
Members of the public who area reading this article and would like to see Oliver’s profile pleas follow this link

http://www.animalsearchuk.co.uk/view_lost_pet.php?id=11111

24th November 2009

Animal Search UK are pleased to announce that in early 2010 we will be one of a few nominated suppliers of a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) device that can be fitted to a pets collar. This will enable owners to track their pets online wherever they may be in the world. So, if you do lose your pet you can immediately locate them to within a few metres using the tracking device. The units are still in a testing period, but are getting better week on week, and will be finished and ready for use in 2010.
Watch this space for more details about the launch! But in the meantime if you are unfortunate enough to lose a pet don’t hesitate to give our head office a ring on the number at the top of the page or via this page.

23rd November 2009

Credit Crunch and the Benefits of Pet Insurance

With the credit crunch biting hard and families trying to save money whenever possible there is no better time than now to buy pet insurance. Imagine the heart ache if your pet was injured, fell ill or even worse went missing, and you couldn’t afford to either have them treated or to carry out a professional advertising campaign like Animal Search UK could provide because you were short of cash. The good news is that most insurance companies in the UK will work alongside Animal Search UK and allow us to provide you with a full and effective advertising campaign with posters and leaflets bearing our free phone number in an attempt to get some news about your missing pet. Hundreds of owners each year make use of their pet insurance this way. There is normally no excess to pay and you can get a very thorough campaign paid for in full and directly to Animal Search UK by the chosen company. The companies we regularly work for are Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks and Spencer, Direct Line, Churchill, Virgin, More Than, plus many more. For details on what exactly they cover you for it is best to check their websites online or call the companies and ask them specific details about advertising and reward costs and how you will be protected against should the worst happen.
When an advertising campaign is needed Animal Search UK can start working for your pet straight away and send everything out to you for the next day (for all orders received before 2pm mon-fri) This allows you to start about using our professional and very effective advertising to help find your missing pet easily and simply. Animal Search UK can then take any calls received about your pet 24 hours a day 7 days a week, this can sometimes also include hoax calls which are worrying for any owner and can be very upsetting. We also email the rescue centres or dog wardens where appropriate. We can take all calls and filter out the genuine from the hoaxes and pass on the details to you any time of the day or night so you can make further enquiries about where your pet might be.

20th November 2009

The Truth About Cats and Dogs

If books are your thing, and pets are another love you have then this book written by TV Vet Emma Milne “The Truth about Cats and Dogs” is a must read. Having received fantastic reviews by a whole range of readers, book sales are going well. Emma actually started writing the book seven years ago but had to put it on hold for several reasons, but now it is finished and was launched earlier this year. The book is for anyone who may want to become a vet, own a pet or is looking into owning a pet or indeed anyone who followed Emma on Vet’s in Practice which featured some really excellent footage of vet’s in training and newly qualified vets. The book is a very honest look at some of the health problems that can occur in pedigree dogs and cats and there certainly are some shocking facts in the book which may shock some readers.
If you would like to order a copy of the book and to find out more on how you can get your copy signed by Emma herself then follow this link

21st October 2009

We are delighted to announce that the well known BBC programme - "Crimewatch UK" have added a link to our site from theirs.

We are proud that they regard our site worthy of this and it is testament to all the hard work we do to assist owners of stolen pets. Thank you to all the team at the BBC. We look forward to helping in any further pieces they broadcast about stolen pets.(news story about our appearance on Crimewatch Roadshow-BBC1)

Main Crimewatch site

Crimewatch Roadshow site

14th October 2009

Animal Search UK have been approached by a new company Vet Help Direct. They offer a range of expert services to pet owners and we hope owners using our site find their help useful should the need arise.

Vet Help Direct.com is free to use and any owner worried about their pet’s condition can answer a series of step by step questions to determine whether or how soon their pet may need to see a vet.

Owners can find their nearest veterinary surgery, its opening hours and specialisations. All the content on Vet Help Direct is written by vets, details in the about us section.

10th September 2009

Our team has quite a following from local media all over the UK. What we're most proud of is the willingness of local newspapers to follow our progress as a company.

One of the most well known weekly local newspapers in the UK is The Hereford Times. They have covered several of our searches and subsequent success stories. The are well aware that the public love reading a 'Happy story' and we are always pleased to provide them with the info. This month we are delighted to be featured in the glossy magazine produced by the Hereford Times every couple of months, it was an ideal opportunity for most of the team to ' get together' when their photographer James came to the Headquarters in Credenhill for the photoshoot.

Look out for the article and our other success stories as they occur in your weekly Hereford Times which is available from many outlets across Herefordshire every Thursday.

22nd June 2009

Crimewatch

Animal Search UK have appeared on several BBC shows in the last few years. However, there is one programme that we had not managed to appear on until now. In early June we were delighted to be contacted by the Crimewatch Roadshow BBC 1 production team to ask if we would be happy to appear in part of one of their programmes addressing the problem of stolen dogs.

As usual, we were more than happy to help and on Monday 22nd June 2009 Tom Watkins, Founder and Principal Search Co-ordinator of Animal Search UK went to the darkest depths of Hampshire to be filmed, live, for the Crimewatch Roadshow programme.

The case under discussion was of two stolen dogs and their owners plight to find them. Apparently, if figures are correct, 50,000 dogs get stolen each year in the UK and with the credit crunch biting unfortunately more pets are being stolen by thieves who take the opportunity to steal them from unattended cars or outside shops, to try and make some quick cash by selling them on to people who probably know that they are not being sold a genuinely owned dog. If members of the public did not buy dogs from unreliable sources, this wouldn’t be a problem and dog theft would decline.

We recommend to any owners reading this, firstly don’t leave your dog unattended in a vehicle, even if its locked, outside a shop or in an insecure garden. Tattooing is always a reliable way of identifying your dog and preventing theft, as is the microchip. Good photos can significantly improve the chances of pet recovery in the unfortunate event of loss for whatever reason, as the Animal Search UK team can put up to 4 photos on our website and on posters and leaflets if necessary.

Remember, if you insure your pet, then most insurance companies in the UK will pay the Animal Search UK service to carry out a thorough advertising campaign on your behalf.

For more details, visit our help and advice page.

1st June 2009

Yet another first for Animal Search UK we have now finished producing our first draft missing pet advice video which is posted on You tube for the world to see . Follow the link below to watch video about what to do if you have lost a pet. Watch this space for more videos, including an explanation of our poster and leaflet service, how to prevent your pet from going missing and the Animal Search UK search team.
See our advice video here

29th May 2009

Bolivar’s Story.

In late May 2009 when Bolivar’s human Mum and Dad decided they were going to have some furniture re-upholstered, they arranged for a delivery van to collect the furniture from their home.

Bolivar the family cat (and his feline wife!) had other plans and decided it would be an ideal opportunity to go on holiday from their home in Chorleywood Hertfordshire to Croydon 60 miles away. When the delivery driver found upon his arrival at his depot, that he had one little stowaway he managed to catch Bolivar’s wife and duly sent her back in a large cardboard box to the owner’s home.

Meanwhile, still hiding in the van, was Bolivar, who decided to jump out and explore the industrial estate and the local neighbourhood. The concerned owners having realised that Bolivar was likely to have jumped into the van along with his feline wife contacted the Animal Search UK search team and within days of his disappearance four members of the Animal Search UK team travelled from their headquarters in Herefordshire 150 miles to Croydon to start the search for Bolivar.

Door to door enquiries were carried out, leaflets were left and posters displayed. It wasn’t long before phone calls were received at the Animal Search UK headquarters/call centre and Bolivar the escapee was identified from his distinctive appearance and collar. Although members of the public did a tremendous job phoning us, Bolivar managed to evade capture for a few more days.

During the days that followed the initial search, a volunteer in the area, namely Michelle, offered to work with Animal Search UK and a local branch of Cats Protection and lay a cat trap in preparation for Bolivar’s next appearance in the garden in which he had been seen a few times. Only a day after the trap was set, sure enough, he fell for the bait in the form of his favourite cat food which had been left in the cat trap and was caught. The owner’s daughter who was in the area that day managed to secure him in a cat basket and took him home by taxi to rejoin his human family and feline wife, who had been missing him a great deal whilst he was exploring Croydon.

Without Michelle’s dedication and our extra posters and leaflets that she handed out in an attempt to narrow down the search area in which he might be, he may not be home today. The whole team from Animal Search UK and family who own Bolivar would like to say a huge “thank you” publicly to Michelle and she is now going to be helping with other searches in her area whenever possible.

A great team effort all round, everybody ended up happy, a nice tale of feline adventure!

21st April 2009

Founder Tom Watkins spoke live on BBC Scotland on Tuesday 21st April 2009 to over 1 million listeners. Tom Watkins was invited to a BBC studio to discuss one of the largest campaign we have ever undertaken that is the search for Toots the missing cat from Edzel in Scotland that belongs to Sandi Thom the pop star. The BBC were kind enough to allow Tom to appeal to the public in the area for news and information about Toots' whereabouts and witnesses were invited to come forward too. Sadly we have had anonymous information received a week or so before the interview to suggest that Toots has been shot by a local man. Along with Tayside police, Animal Search UK hope a prosecution can take place against this individual.

21st April 2009

Vets in Practice Star Joe Inglis who is now the BBC one Show's resident Vet visited the Animal Search UK headquarters recently with a film crew to carry out filming of a typical missing pet search. He spent the day travelling around the area helping in a search for a missing cat called Harry who was missing from the southern side of Hereford.

Posters and leaflets were displayed, door to door enquiries were carried out and a cat trap was left in the area where Harry had last been seen. view the clip of the search

Whilst Joe Inglis was with the ASUK team we talked about his natural cat and dog foods which sound delicious!

For more information about his natural pet foods and why they can be so good for your pet please visit his excellent website

25th March 2009

We are delighted to inform everyone that as a result of an article placed in the Stourbridge News in the West Midlands area during March 2009, Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council have teamed up with Car's Protection in the area to acquire a microchip scanner. This will mean that any pets found on the road networks that have been knocked over by cars and sadly killed will now be scanned the council to confirm whether or not they have a microchip so the owners can be contacted. This is going to be a huge to lost pet owners throughout that region who up until now have been left uninformed and their pets been taken away by the council street cleansing department without every being scanned for a chip. Can we offer our thanks to Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council for their cooperation with this and we hope the scheme is a great success and will bring some comfort and closure to many owners in what must be a difficult time.

21st February 2009

ASUK were contacted in late February by Sandi Thom the singer songwriter who is famous for the "I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair" song a few years ago.

Sandi explained that her cat Toots who had recently moved to Scotland with Sandi's mother had disappeared from the home without a trace. The team swiftly prepared a poster and leaflet campaign, prepared the search vehicle and set off on the 900 mile round trip to Scotland the next day.

After a discussion with Sandi that evening about the circumstances and looking at maps of the area it was decided that widespread publicity in the village appealing for people to come forward with news would be the key.

It was first thought that Toots the cat might have been involved in a road accident by the house, but having spoken to many local residents this possibility was soon eliminated as a cause for the disappearance. With limited news from members of the public during the weekend that the search took place, the team traveled back to the head quarters and prepared a campaign involving letters appealing to the community in more depth.

The day the letters were circulated in the area some news was received from an anonymous source within the village to suggest that Toots had sadly been shot in a revenge attack for Toots maybe disturbing some ones birds locally.

The local police were informed and they too are now carrying out enquiries into the disappearance of Toots. At the time of writing no charges have been brought although there is a suspect who the police along with Animal Search UK are focusing their attention on.

2nd February 2009

Another amazing story now. Charlie the cat found 180 miles from home. This is how the "Tail began"...

It was only whilst checking his engine that a driver noticed a cat stowed away underneath his bonnet. Thinking the cat had only just climbed in there he shooed it away and the cat ran off into some nearby woods.

Only once back home 180 miles later did the driver notice the "missing poster" matching the description of the cat that had jumped out from under his bonnet. The car owner phoned the number on the missing poster and explained that their cat Charlie could be the cat that jumped out of his car 180 miles away.

The owner who'd lost Charlie called Animal Search UK for help and to explain the driver's story.

What next?
The Animal Search UK team swiftly prepared a poster and leaflet campaign and arranged for a local primary school in the area Charlie jumped out of the car in to hand out the posters and leaflets.

Had it not been for the team's quick thinking and plan to have the posters and leaflets distributed by the school then Charlie, who was found 2 days later as a result of the posters, could have got more lost moved areas again or even come to some harm.

Owner Nikki Shepherd was delighted with the result and couldn't believe her eyes when having travelled the 180 miles herself she saw Charlie sitting there with the man who had found him. This is one of the most amazing survival stories we have come across and yet another success story for Animal Search UK.

Charlie even made the BBC TV news.........

Twice!! see here too.