Create an Action Plan for Finding Your Lost Pet

First, search your property thoroughly. Cats and small dogs can get into some very strange and seemingly inaccessible places. Once you are sure your pet is actually lost (and not hiding!), follow these steps to help you recover him/her.

Step 1: Submit to the National Lost Pet Database
Make sure to submit your pet's details to the National Lost Pet Database to make sure that if he/she turns up at a shelter that they recognize the pet as being yours and will be able to contact you.

Step 2: Put Up Lost Pet Posters
Print off our Lost Pet Posters, attach a photo and fill in the details, and photocopy it for distribution around the area where your pet was last seen. Visit local newsagents and supermarkets and ask that they place it in their window. Leave a poster attached to their door if they are not home. Offer a reward, but don't state the amount. 

Step 3: Look For Your Pet!
Walk around the neighborhood looking for your pet! And be sure to make some noise - animals can hear you from great distances. Have all your family members call the pet's name. It's important to stop regularly, be quiet, and listen for your pet to make a noise in reply. Bring a powerful flashlight (even during daylight hours) for checking in dark spaces - injured animals tend to hide in dark spaces.  

Step 4: Phone Vet Clinics
Call local veterinarian offices during the day. After 5 PM, call veterinarian emergency clinics. Find out if your pet was injured and taken to any of these offices or clinics for treatment. If your pet has been killed in a road accident, Animal Control should contact you if they find your pet dead along the road. 

Step 5: Visit Animal Shelters
Find your local animal shelters, either by getting their numbers from you vet, or by looking them up in our Directory of Pet Shelters. Visit them every day or two. It works well if several family members can take turns visiting the shelters. Leave a picture of your pet and your phone number at each shelter.