I recently got a 2 year old Labrador retriever from a rescue group.  I am concerned about her running off and not being able to find her.  What should I do if I ever lose my dog?  What are the best ways to protect my dog from being lost or even stolen?

 Whether lost or stolen, losing a pet is an agonizing experience. According to a recent report from the American Animal Hospital Association, roughly 30 percent of pet owners have lost a pet at one time. But you believe it could never happen to you.  Your cats are strictly indoors and when your dog goes outside unsupervised, it is safe within your fenced yard.  But remember, fences are not 100 percent escape proof and sometimes doors and windows are inadvertently left open.  What would you do if you could not find your feline or canine best friend?

 If you can’t find your pet, the first thing to do is check the house from top to bottom.  This includes all closets, under and behind furniture (including the bed), the garage, the outside porch and deck and any other hiding spots that your pet may find is the perfect napping place.  Cats, in particular, love to find the smallest, darkest, and quietest places to take their naps.  I have found my own cats sleeping inside dressers, behind fish tanks and even under clothes in the laundry room.  I have also heard of cats being found inside a box spring mattress.  Their choice of hiding places never ceases to amaze me.   

If despite all your best efforts your furry friend is not found, here are some steps that might help. 

First, call all the shelters, humane societies and animal control agencies in your area.  I would suggest anything with about a 30 mile radius from your home.  In more rural areas, I would suggest a 50 mile radius.  I would suggest calling and checking with them on at least a daily basis.  Go to each facility and fill out a lost pet form.  Make sure that your description is as accurate as possible.  A current picture can be extremely helpful.   

Second, search the neighborhood thoroughly.  Get all your friends and family to help.  Ask all of your neighbors if they have seen your pet.  Ask all delivery personnel and business owners if they have seen your furry friend.  Make sure you bring along a current photo and ask if you can post a lost pet sign in their place of business.  Remember that cats are more active at night so check for your feline friend at night, when the streets are quiet may be your best chance to find them.  Make sure you bring a flashlight and I would suggest searching in groups rather than individually.   

Third, post signs and hand out flyers to members of your community.  Remember to check for covenants or other rules regarding hanging flyers.  Try to make your sign as effective as possible.  Include the name and sex of your pet, a recent photo, age, breed, color, weight and any special markings or scars which they may have.  Include any problems that your pet may have as well as multiple phone numbers that you can be reached.  Place flyers in as many veterinary offices as possible since your pet may be injured and found by a Good Samaritan who takes him in for veterinary care.  I would also recommend placing a lost pet ad in your local newspaper.  Also, remember that offering a reward never hurts! 

Fourth, place fresh food and water out on a daily basis.  Most pets do not stray far from home and the offering of food can entice a pet to return home sooner rather than later. 

Remember, do not give up hope.  Most pets find their way home so it is important to continue your search.  Continuing to check the local shelters is a must.  In some cases it can take up to 3-4 months to find your pet.  I have read many a story where a pet is reunited with their owner even a year later! 

But remember the saying, an ounce of prevention...Being a responsible pet owner is not an option but your duty.  It is up to you to provide proper identification for your pet.  According to a recent report, two percent of cats and sixteen percent of dogs that enter shelters are returned to their owners.  With proper identification, this number can increase significantly.   I am going to outline various methods of pet identification so that in case your pet is lost, you can increase your chances of a safe return.    

Pet id tags are the first line of protection and are a must for all pets, including indoor only pets.  Studies have shown that when a lost pet is found, the first thing that someone will do is look for an ID tag or collar.  The tag should include your pets name, owners name and address and day and evening phone numbers.  You can use both sides of the tag to also indicate if there is a reward and also your veterinarian’s number.  This ID tag, along with your city/county license and rabies tag can help to identify your pet.  If you are worried about putting your information on your pets tag, you can now register your dog with various internet groups that store your information and provide a tag with basic information and a phone number to call if your pet is found.   

Tattoos and microchips are a more permanent way of providing identification for your pet.  Tattoos involve applying a code on your pet’s skin, normally either inside your pet’s ear flap or inner thigh region.  This method provides a permanent means of identification but does have some drawbacks.  It can be a painful procedure, thereby requiring the use of an anesthetic to perform.  It can also become faded or distorted with age therefore making it illegible.  Although the tattoo is useful in identifying a dog, without the name, address or phone number of the owner it is impossible to contact them.   

Another permanent form of pet identification is microchipping.  This method is becoming much more popular because of it easy of administration and use.  A small “chip” is inserted under your animal’s skin with the use of a hypodermic needle, very similar to giving your pet a vaccination.  Scanners, which are used by most shelters and owned by most veterinarians, are then passed over the chip, thereby reading the code that has been implanted within the chip.  The owner’s information, which is linked to the pet’s personalized chip number, is quickly accessed by contacting a national database. 

Obviously, it is important to remember to change all of your pet’s information whenever you have moved or your information has changed.   

The last method of identification is more of a high tech means of tracking your dog.  Over the past few years, dog collars have been equipped with GPS and believe it or not, cell phones.  The idea behind this system is to create a “GPS fence” that can send a message to your mobile or computer each time that your pet travels outside their designated area.  It also continues to track his coordinates and relays them back to you.  The system does involve attaching a transmitter to their collar, which like an ID tag, can be lost.  You can also have a personalized website which will track and monitor you pets travels over the previous months.  This is an expensive system to buy and maintain monthly, but for our furry friends that tend to leave home quite often, it may be a pleasant peace of mind.  

Remember that one form of identification is not always enough.  The use of both ID tags and a permanent form of identification will give your pet the best chance for a safe and happy return home.