7 Simplest Ways to Find Your Lost Dog

A missing dog is definitely distressing for any dog owner. You wake up or return home one day and your pet is nowhere to be found. You try calling his name and searching the entire house, but alas, it seems he may have slipped his leash or made a dash for it when the door was left open. It’s easy to give in to panic if you find out your dog is missing, but it’s important that you remain calm and methodical. There are ways to find a lost dog, but you must not waste any time and start searching immediately.

1. Create and post lost dog flyers.  

Create flyers to help you with your search. Flyers could be posted online and on public boards as a way to get the attention of anyone who might have spotted your dog. Your lost dog flyer should include clear and the most recent photos of your dog, his name, a detailed description, where he was last seen, your contact details, and other useful information. You might also opt to offer a reward, but it would be better not to mention the exact amount. If the reward is too much, the founder might decide it better and more lucrative to sell your pet. If it’s too little, they might not bother returning your lost dog.

The internet is a great tool for spreading the news about your lost pet. Find lost & found sites onto which you can upload the flyer you made. Pawmaw.com lets you create lost & found flyers online and instantly search for possible matches. The flyers may also be printed in high-quality giving you less time to prepare and more time to perform the actual search.

2. Report it to PawMaw.com  

Pawmaw.com is just the right platform to help find a missing dog. Simply log in on the site and report your missing pet. After you have uploaded a photo and the required details, the community will be alerted and concerned citizens in your local neighborhood can aid your search. Pawmaw.com has been effective in helping many lost pets reunite with their owners so it’s definitely worth a shot.

3. Send out and put up advertisements.

Advertise in the classified section of local newspapers and have local radio stations do a broadcast if possible. If you’re offering a reward, remember to be wary of lost pet scammers who will pretend to have found your pet but will only try to swindle your money.

As for the flyers you made, put them up onto telephone poles, traffic intersections, and public boards, including ones near schools and places of business. Ask local establishments for permission to put up your missing dog posters within their premises.

4. Assemble a search party.

While you’re doing what you can to alert the immediate community of your lost pet, you can enlist the help of family, friends, and concerned neighbors to do a thorough sweep of the area. Make an organized plan so the search party could cover more ground. Most lost dogs have been found within a 2-mile radius from their home. If your lost pet has a more outgoing personality, it will most likely be in places where it can interact with other dogs and other people, such as parks.

Everyone should have a copy of the flyers to put up wherever they can. Go and talk to people you meet along the way, including mail carriers, in case any of them has seen a dog matching the description. It helps to call out your lost dog’s name and listen carefully. It’s possible your dog could be trapped or injured somewhere. If your dog’s personality is a little shyer and reserved, it could be hiding. Look in every possible hiding place or hole your dog may have gone into.

If, on the first day, you’re unable to find your dog, don’t lose hope. Keep the search going the next day and stay on alert for any sign of your lost dog.

5. Check with shelters and animal rescue centers.

Inform all animal rescue centers and shelters in the vicinity that you’re someone who needs to find a lost dog. Grab the yellow pages and start making calls. It’s imperative you do this as soon as possible as some shelters send away or get rid of stray animals after a certain period. If possible, you can drop by shelters every day until you find your dog. Animal rescuers tend to be busy and one lost dog may be easy to overlook.

You might also extend your calls and visits to police stations, pet supply stores, and veterinary clinics. Don’t forget to leave your contact details in case your pet shows up in any of these places.

6. Call the microchip company.

If you had your pet dog implanted with a microchip, this is one of the first things you should do. Someone might have found your missing pet and had the microchip scanned at a local vet. If this is the case, it will show up in the database of the microchip company and you should be able to know where your dog is immediately.

7. Don’t give up on your search.

Hopefully, the steps above are able to help you find your lost dog within the first day or two. However, if a few days go by and you’re still facing a dead end, don’t lose hope. There have been many cases of dog owners getting reunited with their pets even after months of separation. Continue checking shelters and animal rescue centers on a regular basis. Search online marketplaces in case someone found your dog and is trying to sell it. And last but not least, keep fresh food and water ready all the time. There’s still a good chance that your missing pet will manage to find his way back home when you least expect it.

 Here are some more essential tips that you can follow 

We hope you never have to ever lose a pet dog but accidents can happen even to our gentle, furry friends. But with the help of Pawmaw.com pet finder and these steps on how to find a lost dog, there is a good chance that you will be able to locate your missing pet as soon as possible. Remember to stay calm and positive, and to never give up on your lost pet.