Help - My Dog is Lost!
An AKC Tracking Dog is trained to follow human scent to find an article (i.e., a glove or wallet) belonging to the person whose scent they are following. During their training these dogs are taught to ignore other animal tracks or scents and consequently would probably not be helpful in locating a lost pet.
However, there are groups which specialize in finding lost dogs. (Will open in a new window)
Find Toto
Pet Amber Alert
The following information may help you locate your lost dog.
- If you have other dogs or have a friend whose dog yours often plays with, those dogs may be of help to you in determining if your lost dog is in any given area. Encourage these dogs to “find” their friend. Watch their body language for clues as to whether your dog was in that area.
- Do a preliminary search of the area surrounding your house, gradually radiating outwards in a widening circle (or in an organized pattern, i.e., block-by-block. Keep calling the dog's name (HAPPILY) as the dog may be nearby but not responding.
- Think about how your dog acts when he is loose. Does he bolt? Or does he wander around sniffing the ground.
- Leave a piece of your clothing, the smellier the better, on the ground. Hunters have used this method for many years. The dog will come back to the familiar smell and will stay in the area waiting for you to return.
- Carry a flashlight, even in daylight hours, so you can look in dark places. An injured or frightened dog may seek shelter in a quiet, dark place. Check in sheds, garages, drainage ditches.
- Go out through your neighborhood often on foot. And be sure to check at night. When an animal is frightened or unfamiliar with an area, he may only come out under the cover of darkness. When searching for your pet, especially at night, do not go alone. Take along your pet’s favorite “squeaky toy” or rattle a box of your dog’s favorite treats. Stop occasionally to listen for sounds of your pet.
- Each day broaden your search, radiating outward from your home.
- Visit the animal shelter and look at the animals impounded. ALSO, ask staff for information on injured or sick animals or animals in quarantine.
- Although you are hoping to find your lost dog alive, there is a very real possibility that he was killed by a car. You will need to contact the State Department of Transportation to see if your pet was found by them and removed from the roadway.
- In describing your dog to shelters be exact in your description:
Coat: short/long, wiry/curly
Tail: docked/ringed bushy
Ears: cropped/pricked/hound
Size: small/medium/large
Name:
Age: Sex: Neutered
Collar: color and type
- Do not rely only on phone inquiries. You will need to visit and look at the dogs. Unless a shelter is a no-kill facility, your pet may have from three to five days at the facility before it could be euthanized.
- Ask mailpeople, delivery people, newspaper carriers, school crossing guards, neighborhood crime watch groups, garbage pick-up crews, etc., to watch for your dog.
- Notify local schools and ask that the students keep an eye out for your dog. Kids are outside more than adults and are more apt to spot a stray dog.
- Notify local shelters and the police.
- If there are any boarding/breeding kennels near you, call and alert them. A loose dog may go visiting where there are other dogs, most especially to a breeding kennel where bitches may be in heat.
- Distribute fliers to neighbors, stores, schools, laudromats, school bus stops, supermarket bulletin boards, veterinarian's offices, pet food shops, feed stores, on windows or bulletin boards of shopping mall stores such as Wal-Mart, Ames, K-Mart, etc.
- Do not put your name on the flier – only a phone number. Be sure to assign a family member or friend to stay at your home to answer calls.
- Don’t forget to read the found ads in newspapers on Lost & Found websites.
- Have you moved recently? Then post the fliers in your old neighborhood and your new neighborhood and areas in between. Pets can travel long distances trying to return to an old home.
- The mere spotting of the dog gives you a place to start looking, and in winter weather could provide you with tracks to follow in the snow.
- Contact local radio stations as many have "Lost and Found" air spots. Look under "W" in the White Pages of the phone book as Eastern radio stations all start with this call letter, (K for stations beyond the Mississippi River) or under Radio Stations in the Yellow Pages.
- If your dog is missing for several days, advertising under Lost and Found in newspapers may help.
- If you offer a reward, do not give the amount. Better still do not offer a reward as it is a well-known fact that some unscrupulous people will keep a valuable dog with the idea of upping the ante. If you get a call from someone who says they have found your dog, do not go alone.
- If you have lost a purebred dog, check with your breed's rescue group. These can be located through the AKC or on the Internet.
- Ask veterinarians for names of rescue groups. They will help you spread the word about your lost dog.
- When your dog is back home, be sure to call all those who were initially alerted, especially the shelters, police and the radio stations.
- Don’t give up – dogs are often located after a long period of time. Well-meaning people can keep a dog for quite a while before they consider turning it over to a shelter, and they may not see your fliers, read your newspaper ad of hear a radio announcement or be checking the lost and found websites.
- Be aware that certain times of the year and events are more risky for your dog, e.g., thunderstorms and holidays when fireworks or loud strange noise may be heard, such as the July 4th, New Year's Eve, Halloween.
- Remember that pets who are wearing a LICENSE tag or have a microchip imbedded will stand a better chance of being reunited with you. (Maybe include a link to AKC recovery or other such site.) If your dog is microchipped, be sure the company has your current address and phone number.
- Your veterinarian can advise you about microchipping your dog. Shelters can now read all microchips. The American Kennel Club maintains a nationwide database of the microchips from the Schering Plough HomeAgain ™ system. (888) 466-3242 for information and the name of a vet near you who can install the chip.
- Be sure to have some good photos of your dog in case you need them for “Lost Dog” fliers.
Using common sense can keep your dog from becoming a “lost dog".
- If you have a fenced yard, check it often for possible escape routes and make sure gates are kept closed.
- Don’t allow your pets to roam freely; keep them on a leash when you are outside with them. If they get loose, especially in an unfamiliar area, they may not be able to find their way home.
- If your dog is spayed or neutered, he/she is less likely to wander.
Good Luck
Some additional resources to help you find your Lost Dog (will open in a new window).
American Kennel Club Lost and Found Dogs
Fido Finder
Pet Disaster Preparedness
Tracking Your Dog With GPS
Play it safe ... go to all of them ... each one lists different lost and found dogs.
© 2024 Lenape Tracking Club
of Central New Jersey - all rights reserved