.If this looks worthy, feel free to repost it on other pet message boards you visit. for city dogs and their familys ……Pretend for 3 minutes……pretent your dog has been gone–[lost] all day……..Would that "hurt" ?? …If any of these below ever happens at your house…. You WILL..yes WILL lose your dog ..# 1…..Does your dog run free?–[no fence] ……"oh I never worry..he always stays home"…… ………..PUT UP A GOOD FENCE…..or don’t cry when he’s gone some day….he will be gone some day…….do a websearch "lost and found"………..90 percent of the HUNDREDS of lost dogs were dogs that stay out in an unfenced yard……."oh he always stays close" everybody assumes this….dont be one of them. …..so many things can interest a dog and make them wander….just far enough that they can’t tell how to get back…..[most dogs can get lost just four or five blocks from the house]…or a chid or a well meaning samaratin may see him running loose and mistake him for lost or abandoned……If your dog is a desireable breed or very cute or handsome….you would never see that car that stops and loads him in it. ……If a driver hits your dog he-[the dog]- will either be dead or injured…the driver won’t stop and help your dog……if dog is injured badly enough they Will find a well hidden place to be alone….and may not be able to move even if you’re out calling for him. ….A nasty dog may wander down your street and chase your dog….nasty dogs can run a long time…and your dog can be chased just far enough that he won’t be able to find his way back. …#2…Do you let your dog out for potty breaks in an UNFENCED yard? ………..STAY OUT THERE WITH HIM …..so many things can interest a dog and make them wander….just ………oh heck ..everything under # 1 applys here too … …# 3…..Does your dog occasionaly dig out under the fence? ……FIX THAT FENCE SO DAMM GOOD THAT HE’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO DIG OUT AGAIN……..OVER-FIX IT…don’t just put a flimsy fix over the hole……he’ll find another spot and another. ………..[see all the possibles listed in 1 and 2 above] …# 4……Does your dog occasionaly "escape" out the door? ….What is happening at those times? is it when a youngster is going in and out? if the child/ children are young young, keep the door locked so a grown up has to open it when the child wants out. if the child/children are older …it’s obvious that they aren’t remembering to watch for escape artist dogs…… make a hard fast rule: NO CHILD LEAVES THE HOUSE WITHOUT telling an adult first …is he trying to escape EVERY TIME the door gets opened? …..when family members come home have them knock before opening the door…. usher the dog to another room before opening the door ……do something different…..the dog is constantly learning new ways to scoot around you and out that door. …# 5….Have you ever been with your dog during New Years eve or fourth of july noise?? or during thunder? …If your answer is no…….you WILL…yes WILL lose that dog during one of those noise events …how? you ask? ……trust me…you will lose your dog……you will go to that new years or 4th of july party/ family get together…and come home to find that your little tiny dog BROKE a hole in a wood fence. or that little dog managed to climb UP a chain link fence…or you walk in the house and find that fido has jumped through a window and is now gone gone. Most dogs..[assume your’s is one of em]–most dogs will panic at these noises–[fireworks, thunder, gunshots] ..MANY dogs–[again assume your’s will be one of these]– many dogs panic soooo hard that they can do A M A Z I N G things to run away from the noise. ……and if a dog gets loose during fireworks or new years noise….he will not stop running for hours till the noise stops……how far away will he be by then?? …..when a dog is running in a blind panic…………[kids, hide your eyes]…….when a dog is running from these noises he is in a mindless wild panic…….and this happens:::……. …..the day after the 4th of july and on new years day there are 3 times as many dogs laying in the road…..yours will be one of them.–[will you be with your dog when a noise event happens?] …….I attempt to stop and "collect" any dog that looks lost or dumped. the days after the4th, and the days afte rnew years day, I ALWAYS find more than one dog who’s been lost for at least two days. —————————————— I’m finding lost dogs wandering my neighborhood often. I almost always turn them over to the county animal control There are other people that collect strays and turn them over to their local pounds. and then there’s those that the officers find on their own. ..If you lose a dog, check the shelters everywhere within at least 20 miles of your home……then recheck every day or every other day……..some dogs may roam lost for days before getting to a pound