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Lost Pets

Did your cat or dog runaway? Did you come home and find that Fido or Whiskers isn’t there? If so, you’re not alone.  There are over 19 million websites dedicated to helping you find a lost pet or adopting pets who have not been identified.

Coming home to an empty house is one of the scariest feelings for pet owners.  There are things you can do to lessen the chance that your pet will get lost and things you can do to help the chances that your pet will be recovered.

Prevention is key
First, always microchip your pets. This will help to identify your pet if they become lost or end up at a shelter.  Make sure to have your vet scan the chip every once in awhile as they can move and sometimes become “lost” and you will need to re-microchip your pet.

Next, make sure that your pet has proper identification on (i.e. rabies tag, name tag, etc.).  Ensure that the tags are legible and not faded or worn.  Be sure to update the tags when you move or change phone numbers.

Walk your backyard or home (where your pet spends most of their time) and make sure your pet is safe and secure.  If you’re having work done in your yard, make sure your pets are safely inside your home and away from stress and strange people that may cause them to run away.
Keep updated photos of your pet in the event that they do run away.

My pet is gone. Where do I start?
The first thing that you should do is look for your pet in their usual hiding spots in the house and yard and neighborhood.  Many pets will look for familiar ground, follow the routes you take when walking your dog or the area that you see your cat frequent. 

Once you have determined that your pet is gone, call the humane society and animal control.  Last year, when I had work done in my backyard, the construction crew ran over part of our fence which allowed our dogs to escape. After frantically searching for them, putting up flyers and visiting the local humane society; we received a call from animal control who had picked up our dogs in another backyard about a mile away.

Put up flyers! Put up flyers all around your neighborhood and any areas you think your pet my frequent.  We received 3 calls on our flyers all from neighbors who had seen our dogs running around.

Log on to the many lost pet sites and start entering your information.  These sites have a far reach and you would be amazed at how many people have found their pets this way.

Contact your veterinarian as well as local veterinarians to let them know that your pet is missing. Vet offices will often put missing photos on their bulletin board and be on the lookout for anyone who brings in an injured or stray animal.

Shopping with Fido does not specifically endorse or recommend any of the articles on this site. We do however hope you enjoy all of these pet articles from our wonderful community members and consult your veterinarian for any questions.

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