If an Animal Is Lost

It is a traumatic experience for both companion animal and human when an animal strays from home. Remember, you must act quickly! The longer you wait, the further the animal can travel and the greater the chance that he or she can become injured. Keep a collar with your address and phone number on your companion animal at all times, even indoors, in case the animal somehow gets away. If you walk your dog or cat with a harness, a lightweight collar can be used just for ID tags. Ideally, you should have your animal microchipped, and the information in the database should be kept updated. It will be easier to find a lost animal if you have pictures of him.

Companion animals should never be allowed to walk outside unleashed or unattended unless they are in a securely fenced area. This is particularly true during storms. It is very easy for an animal who would not otherwise wander to become completely disoriented in a storm and end up many miles from home.

• Call all the local animal shelters and animal control agencies within a wide radius. Call veterinarians. If your animal has been injured, someone may bring him or her to a clinic. If possible, visit the shelters and veterinarians and provide them with a recent photograph of your lost animal. In addition, contact your local police department.
   

• Search the neighborhood thoroughly and often! Whether you walk, bicycle, or drive, carefully look and listen for your animal companion. Be sure to do this frequently. Your animal might be injured or frightened. Ask neighbors and postal workers around your community if they have seen the lost animal. Distribute a recent photograph of your dog or cat with information about how you can be reached.
   

• Post signs and advertise. You can post signs in veterinarians' offices, post offices, grocery stores, community centers, and on street corners. Include a picture of the lost animal. Advertising in local newspapers and on websites such as Petfinder.com in the U.S. or http://www.noiman.co.il/lost in Israel may also help find the lost animal. Call your local radio station and ask if they will make an announcement. Specify his or her gender, age, weight, breed, color, and any special markings.
   

• Don't give up. Keep searching the community and contacting shelters. Animals have been reunited with their human companions after several months.

If you find a lost animal without ID, please notify all the local shelters and the local police department. Give them a detailed description of the animal. Lost animals can often be reunited with their human companions by matching a lost report with a found report.