Many owners think that their pets can never get lost or go missing. But sometimes the unthinkable happens, and it can lead to a lot of stress and panic. If the situation ever arises, the first thing that you need to do is try to stay calm. When you are panicking, your mind will be clouded, and it will make it much more challenging to think about the course of action clearly. That is why you should stay calm and focus on finding your dog. Unless you have the best GPS for cats or GPS for dogs, the device might run out of battery and leave you to find your pet the old fashion way. Fortunately, people still found their pets in the past. It was very challenging, and the probability was lower, but it was possible. So, you can try out these eight tips and find your dog quickly.
Don’t Waste Any Time
When your dog gets lost, you need to act very quickly and not waste any time panicking. Seeing that most cats and dogs don’t generally run off far away, you might just get lucky and locate your pet immediately if you act fast. Otherwise, your pet might get hurt or worse in the open streets.Â
Review Your Home’s Security Footage
Since your security cameras will be continuously recording, they are the best place to start. You can playback the recordings to find out if your pet even left the house or not. Who knows, it could simply be hiding inside of your home. If it did leave the house, then your security footage will help you identify the direction it went. That can incredibly narrow down your search radius. Also, your security footage can help you see whether your pet ran away or was it stolen by some criminals. Â
Leave Some of Its Favorite Food Out
Before you leave your house in search of your pet, make sure to leave some of its favorite food at all the entrances of your home. If it is nearby, then it might be able to smell the food and come running back. You can keep watching your security cameras and run back home if you see your pet eating the food.Â
Look Around the Neighborhood
Dogs and cats generally don’t run that far away from home. They usually like to be in the places that they are familiar with, which is why there is a good chance your pet might not have even left the neighborhood. So, don’t be shy and start knocking on doors around the neighborhood to find your pet. Also, you should look at some of its favorite secret spots.
Put Up Fliers
Take the best picture of your pet, make a proper flyer, and print out as many copies as possible. Posting flyers around your neighborhood, and then extending the radius, is among the best ways to get more eyes to search for your pet. Remember to include some specifics of your pet in the flyer, and describe its appearance correctly. You can also post the flyer on social media platforms, especially in community groups or pages.
Go To the Local Pet Shelters
If a kind person found your pet, they will first look for a collar ID to try to contact you. If they are unable to reach you, then they might look for fliers. But if that doesn’t work either, then people usually take the dog or cat to a nearby shelter where it will be easy for the owner to find it. That is why you need to run to the local shelters and look at all the animals that have come in since yours got lost.Â
Ask the Local Vets
If you didn’t have luck at the local pet shelters, then you might want to try the veterinarians nearby. In case your pet got injured outside, anyone could have rushed it to any vet nearby. That is why you need to contact or visit the local veterinarians. If your pet had a microchip, a vet can scan it and find your contact information. Alternatively, they might charge the GPS tracker and allow you to locate it.
Call Reinforcements
If nothing seems to work, then it might be useful to call in the big guns. Many professionals offer the service of finding your pet with the help of a tracking dog. These canines are trained to use their olfactory senses to locate your lost pet. But you need to keep in mind that your dog’s scent will fade as time passes, so you should take action quickly.
