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What to Do If Your Pet Goes Missing: Tips & Resources

Every pet owner who has been through this situation can tell you how traumatic it is when a pet goes missing. The anxiety and fear are crippling, and pet owners often spend a lot of time worrying about where their pet might be, if they’re safe, and whether they will be able to find their way back. To prevent such incidences from happening, make sure to equip your little babies with a collar ID tag or a microchip.

Though it’s a difficult situation to be in, it is important to stay calm and think with a clear head so you can find your pet as soon as possible. While most pets are good at finding their way back home after roaming around for a bit, sometimes, they need a bit of help from you. Here are a few things you must do as soon as you discover that your pet is missing.

Walk the Neighborhood

Take a walk around the surrounding area. Most pets don’t wander out too far from places that they’re familiar with, so chances are they might be nearby. Peek into bushes, underneath cars, or quiet, isolated buildings. It just might be that they found a comfortable spot and dozed off there. Call their name while walking, and talk to other people in the area. Ask the postman, nearby store-keepers, and gardeners if they have seen your pet.

Keep their Food Bowls and Litter Boxes Outside

Most cats and dogs have a strong sense of smell and can use the scent of their litter and food to find their way home. Keep their food and litter boxes outside so they can walk back to it if they are nearby.

Visit Nearby Animal Shelters

If your pet still hasn’t turned up, try visiting nearby animal shelters. Maybe a kind soul saw a lost pet and dropped them off at the local shelter when they couldn’t reach the owner. If you’re lucky, your pet might be lounging with other animals in the shelter. If you don’t find your pet there, you can inform them about your missing pet, with a description of your pet and contact number in case the animal shelter is alerted about a lost pet.

Hand out Pet Posters with Rewards

If your pet has been gone for 24 hours or more, start printing out posters and distribute them in your neighborhood. Include a monetary reward as an incentive. Put in a recent picture and a detailed description of the pet, as well as multiple contact numbers that people can reach you on. Distribute the posters among people on the streets, put them up on walls, and in your local animal shelters. If someone has any information on the whereabouts of your pet, they’ll reach out to you.

Take To The Internet

The internet is a strong tool, and many times, people have found their pets by posting about them on various social media platforms. The internet provides greater reach, and thus, a higher possibility of reuniting with your beloved pet. There are other forums like this website and a Facebook group dedicated to finding lost pets in the Charlotte Area.

You can share an update on your profile and get your friends and family to share it so that it reaches more people. Better yet, you can reach out to Little Friends Pet Sitting and Dog Walking, and we will put up a post about your missing pet that can reach a wider audience, thus giving you a better chance of finding your pet.

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