I covered the importance of pet micro-chipping in December but keep in mind that’s just one way to keep your dog or cat safely at home. I’d like to share a few other tips to help prevent a pet from getting lost and to direct you on how to find your fur baby if the unimaginable happens.
Keeping your Pet Safe
- Keep your personal information and your alternate contact information up to date.
- Always keep a collar on your pet and be sure it is securely attached.
- Look around your house and garden for ways your pet can get out; check for loose fencing or gaps keeping an eye out for new “escape routes.”
- Keep fence gates securely locked.
- Never allow pets to roam freely in the neighborhood; leash them at all times.
- Always transport a dog or cat in a proper carrier.
- Regularly take clear, up-to-date photos of your pet. Take close-up shots that show details well; you want your pet to be unmistakable.
- Train your pet to associate a "dog whistle" with pleasant things. Blow the whistle each time before you feed them and they will be more likely to respond to the whistle when they are lost if they associate the sound with feeding time.
- Make sure you can always be located when your pet is found.
How to Find a Pet Faster
- Search your property thoroughly.
- Walk the neighborhood, talk to everybody, and leave your phone number.
- Make noise, like calling your pet’s name, while you walk the neighborhood. Animals respond to sound.
- Bring a flashlight -- even in daylight hours -- for checking dark spaces.
- Place strong-scented personal articles outside your home; animals find their way home by scent along with sound.
- Visit your local dog warden and all rescue centers in surrounding areas; calling is not enough.
- Post tons of posters within a one-mile radius of where your pet was lost.
- Place an ad in your local newspaper; check "found" ads daily.
- Post on Facebook and other social media and ask everyone to please share the post.
Stay Safe When Collecting a Found Pet
- NEVER respond to a "found" pet contact alone; take a friend with you and arrange to meet in a public place.
- NEVER invite the person to your home unless you know the person well.
- Beware of scams. A common swindle is a person calling and claiming to have your pet in a different town; they then ask for the money to ship your pet to you. This person does not have your pet; they are simply trying to swindle your money.
- Don't look for your pet alone, during the day or night; ALWAYS bring a friend, especially in unfamiliar neighborhoods.
If a beloved pet does get lost, remember: don’t give up. Pets have been known to find their way back home after being lost for many months, and even years in some cases – at times across hundreds of miles!
For pet-sitting with a personal touch, contact Dee Hopkins at 517.546.0439 and visit http://www.ddspetpatrol.com.
Written by Dee Hopkins in collaboration with Ginger Sprinkle @ nine dots branding & marketing company (ginger@ninedotsbranding.com).
