9 Tips to Find a Lost Dog – Fast
Buddha Dog Rescue and Recovery founder Nicole Asher’s pro tips for getting your missing pup home safe
Losing your dog is every pet parent’s worst nightmare. If you’ve found yourself in this nerve-racking scenario, don’t panic. Nicole Asher of Buddha Dog Rescue and Recoveryopens in a new tab – whose miraculous success stories include finding a dog who had travelled 80 miles from his family, and another who had been adopted by a pack of coyotes – compiled a step-by-step list of what you should do to give you the best shot at bringing your pup home safely. Read Buddha Dog’s quick-action plan below, then find out what to do when you get calls with sightings.
9 Steps to take ASAP when your dog goes missing
1. Jump into action as soon as possible
It’s normal to feel frantic, but you’ll have to stay calm and focused for your pup. The sooner you act, the better. Avoid jumping to conclusions that would slow you down: don’t assume your dog will wander home, and don’t assume they were stolen.
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opens in a new tab2. Search your home thoroughly
Check your bushes, garage, under your car, and other den-like areas on your property. It’s possible your dog is frightened and hiding. Carry a lead during your search – and don’t forget the treatsopens in a new tab. If your dog bolted out of your electric fence, turn off your fence so your dog will be able to safely return to the garden.
3. Talk to your neighbours
Ask your neighbours to check their gardens, under their porches and in their garages; and ask them to check their home video surveillance, such as Ring security cameras.
4. But instruct them not to go out searching
While friends, family members, and well-meaning people will want to physically search for your dog, it is actually the wrong thing to do. This will only exacerbate how afraid your dog is, as they’ll feel threatened or hunted; and will drive your lost dog further and further away.
It’s best to get flyers up in the area as quickly as possible so the calls with sightings start coming in. If someone sees your dog, they should sit or lay down (avoiding eye contact) and gently toss treats to the side to lure your dog in.
5. Create and print a flier
Use large type and print 250 copies (to start) using colour ink. Include a clear, full-body photo of your dog. Write ‘DO NOT CHASE’ and your phone number in bold print. Post within a two-to-three mile radius of where your dog went missing, or go door-to-door with flyers. (Your local council may prosecute for fly posting, so try to avoid putting posters on lamp posts, telegraph poles and public fences.) When placing flyers, make sure they are facing the direction people are driving, stapled in all four corners, and in plastic sheet protectors to protect them from rain. And turn your car into a billboard – tape your lost dog poster on the sides and back of your car windows.
Other businesses and public places to post fliers include pet food stores, groomers, doggy daycares, train and bus stations, churches, schools, post offices, off-licences, department store parking lots (under windshield wipers), petrol stations and public parks – also hand fliers to park workers.
6. Alert the authorities
Call dog wardens, veterinarians and animal shelters within a 20-mile radius so they can be on the lookout. Also, go to local shelters and vet clinics to hand them fliers. Remember to include microchip identification numbers if applicable, and ask that they scan and verify ownership of any pet matching the description or photo you provided.
7. Set up some stinky food in a bowl, near a favourite blanket
Think hot dogs.
8. Man your phone
Your phone should be on 24/7 to answer calls from possible sightings. If your dog has an ID tag with your phone number on it or a microchip, you may very well get a call. And keep a notebook on hand so you can record all sightings of your dog with date, time, exact location, and the direction they were headed.
9. Post on Facebook, NextDoor, Ring Community and other online sites
Be sure to include a photo.
What to Do When You Receive Call of Sightings
Record all sightings in a logbook.
Record the name of the caller and their phone number.
Ask simple questions, such as:
Where did you see my dog (exact location or landmark)?
When did you see my dog?
Can you describe my dog? If they were wearing a collar, what colour was it?
What were they doing? Running down road, playing with other dogs, laying down
Was my dog in the road, in a garden or running down the street? If the latter, which direction were they coming from and where were they headed?
After you finish with the call, make sure to post it on a map. You can use a paper map or online map. This will help you figure out the direction of travel.
What to do when you see your dog (or show up at a sighting)
This may come as a surprise, but don’t expect your dog to recognise you – especially if they’re a newly adopted rescue dog. When dogs are lost, they go into survival modeopens in a new tab and often don’t recognise their own pet parents. The last thing you want to do is run towards your dog to scoop them up. I get it, it goes against every natural instinct, but curb your enthusiasm and follow this tried-and-true tip: sit or lay down (avoiding eye contact) and gently toss treats toward your pup to lure them towards you. If they take the bait, so to speak, they may not realise who you are until they’re close enough to smell you – so don’t make a move until you’re 100 percent sure you can attach a lead without them bolting off again.
