Dogs are a part of our families, and losing one can be devastating. Unfortunately, it happens to many pet owners every year. If you’re like most dog owners, you probably worry about what you would do if your furry friend ever ran away. It’s a scary thought, but the good news is that there are things you can do to increase the chances of finding your pup and bringing them home safely. This article will outline some tips and advice for what to do if your dog runs away.
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Stay Calm
It’s easy to become overwhelmed with stress and anxiety if your dog goes missing, but you need to stay as calm as possible so that you can think clearly. Panicking will only make things worse-so, try not to overexert yourself because there are plenty of other people who can help look for your furry friend. It’s crucial that you take breaks and don’t tire yourself out.
Walk Around Your Property
Before you call the police or visit your local shelter, you must walk around your property to see if your dog is hiding somewhere nearby. Grab a treat and slowly start to search in-between trees, shrubs, under porches, in garages, or the backyard. They may have run away because they were startled by something like an open window or door, or maybe they saw another animal outside. Whatever happens, you must look through your yard before anything else.
Don’t Forget The Neighbors!
After searching your property, the first thing you should do is to ask the neighbors if they’ve seen your dog. You can print out a picture of them and go door-to-door with it. Some people might be hesitant to help you, but make sure that you thank those who take the time to speak with you. Sometimes, someone else may have spotted your pet and not yet contacted the police or animal shelter. It’s important that you talk to as many people as possible.
Post Fliers
Once you have exhausted your search efforts in your yard and surrounding streets, it’s time to post flyers all over town. To help get more eyes on your flyer, you should place them in public places like grocery stores, coffee shops, schools, libraries, or laundromats. You can also try placing some near major intersections or busy streets since this is where most pet owners walk their dogs. And make sure that you include “Reward” somewhere in the flyer’s title because offering money will encourage people to contact you if they see your pup.
Use Social Media
Since posting fliers might not be enough to catch the eye of everyone who passes by, you may want to consider setting up a Facebook or Twitter account just for your lost pup. Post an update about their disappearance and where they were last seen following each day that passes. If you have a close friend with a decent-sized social media following, ask them if they’d share your dog’s story! It can pay off big time when random people start seeing it pop up on their feed.
Alert The Authorities
At this point, you may want to consider contacting the authorities if you have not yet found your dog. Call the police and file a missing dog report, which will make sure that they are aware of your pup’s disappearance. In addition to this, you can call the animal shelter or humane society in your town since it’s possible someone dropped off your dog there already. It doesn’t hurt to get multiple people involved with locating your dog-and calling the police is a must!
Start A Search Party
If the authorities haven’t located your dog yet, or if it’s been days since they went missing and you are starting to lose hope, it might be time to start a search party. This will get more people involved with looking for your pup so that you can cover even more ground. An excellent way to get friends involved is by hosting a meeting at a nearby park or coffee shop where everyone can talk about what happened and help plan out the best possible ways of searching. You should also offer up some reward money in case anyone who attends has any information on their whereabouts.
Don’t Give Up
Unfortunately, it’s very common for dogs to run away because something spooked them-like the sound of fireworks or thunder. If you notice that your pet is missing around a holiday or stormy season, then there’s a good chance that they have tried to find shelter somewhere else. Whatever the case, do not give up hope after just one day. Continue searching until you are sure they haven’t turned up anywhere nearby. You can even place an ad in local newspapers since some people don’t check online listings. But if two weeks have passed and you still haven’t found your dog, then it might be time to contact the police so that they can keep an eye out for your pet.
Conclusion
Searching for a lost pup can be an extremely stressful and challenging time, but it doesn’t have to be if you follow some or all of the steps mentioned in this article! Start by walking around your yard and asking neighbors if they’ve seen anything. If that doesn’t yield fruit, post fliers of your dog with their photo, name, and phone number so that anyone who finds them will know how to reach you. Finally, if you still haven’t found your dog after exhausting all other options, try organizing a search party with friends or family members. Good luck!