What To Do If Your Pet Goes Missing: Tips & Resources

Loosing a pet can be extremely scary, especially if you do not know where to start looking. We have guides specific to Larimer County, but what if you’re not from the area? Here are some general missing pet tips and resources to keep in mind if your pet goes missing.

1. The Basics If Your Pet Goes Missing

For the first few minutes after a pet goes missing, you want to start with the basics.

• Do a patrol of the area to see if you find any evidence of Fluffy.
• Talk to the neighbors, especially anyone working outside, to see if they noticed Fluffy going by.
• If Fluffy is a dog, swing by her favorite places to walk or any place for play dates to see if she went there.
• Read up on How to Catch a Loose Dog for some tips if you do see her running free.

2. Who to Contact First About a Missing Pet

You have done the basic search and turned up nothing. This is typically 15-30 minutes after you have realized Fluffy is missing. Now it is time to reach out for help.

• Call your local humane society and animal shelter – let them know you have lost your pet. Some will let you submit a lost pet report online, others you have to submit in person. Call to find out more information.
• If Fluffy has a microchip, contact the company to let them know she is missing and how to reach you, just in case your information is not up to date.
• Contact any veterinarians, groomers and pet supply stores in your immediate area (around a mile from where she went missing), in case someone picks her up and brings her in.

3. Social Media is Your Best Resource

Getting on social media is the best missing pet tip and resource you have at your disposal. Your friends and complete strangers are going to be happy to help you search for any news of Fluffy.

• Post on all of your personal social media networks. Include a recent picture, where and when she went missing and any directions you want people to follow, such as how to contact you, not to chase Fluffy, Fluffy is afraid of men, etc. Specifically ask people to share the post. If you know any people in the animal world, such as your normal dog walker or groomer, ask them to share since they have such a large reach.
• Post on these pages. There are many pages specifically dedicated to helping reunite missing pets with their people. Post on as many as you can, but start with Facebook. That is where we have had the most luck in recent years.
  • Any local Facebook Lost and Found pet groups.
  • Nextdoor – This is a newish system for people to coordinate with their neighborhoods on various subject. When you post it can be seen by those directly in your area.
  • Post on Craigslist in the Community -> Pets section as well as Community -> Lost+Found. There is no charge to do so.
  • Helping Lost Pets – You have to fill out their online form, which gives you a flyer you can use and their website has a ton of helpful tips. Once you fill out the form, they will post it in their Facebook group.
  • PawBoost – You can pay for upgraded service, but they list your pet for free on Facebook and in their database.
  • LostMyDoggie – They post on Facebook but they also alert local shelters and rescues.
  • PetKey – A smaller page, but everything helps!
• Head out and continue looking for Fluffy. Make sure you are able to answer the phone if someone calls! Ask your neighbors to check their garages, sheds and yards to make sure she is not hiding there.

4. What is the Next Step?

If you are approaching evening, there are a few steps you can take, especially if Fluffy is shy and still might be in the area.

1. Double check with any neighbors coming home to make sure they did not see her earlier in the day.
2. Consider leaving your door open so Fluffy can come in at night, if she was lost from your home.
3. If Fluffy is a cat, place her litter box outside where she can smell it.

5. The Next Day

You have done all of the fast, easy options and Fluffy has not been found. Now is time to dig in and spread the word that Fluffy is missing.

• File a lost pet report if you haven’t already with your local humane society and animal shelter.
• Contact local breed rescues that relate to Fluffy. For instance, if she is a Golden Retriever, contact the local Golden rescue. There are too many for me to list here, and they change regularly, so search online for one. You can also contact All Breed Rescue Network at (888) 440-6467. They keep a running list of breed rescues in the Colorado area. Sometimes breed rescues will be able to offer more suggestions or help specific to your breed.
• Print off flyers from one of the sources you used yesterday. Post flyers in veterinary hospitals, groomers, trainers, pet supply stores, the dog park and anywhere animal related. Many local businesses also have community boards. Start with businesses near you and increase the distance the longer Fluffy is missing. Posting flyers on mailboxes and phone poles is illegal, although many people do it.
• Continue to update posts online. People will be wondering if you found Fluffy and you want to keep them searching. Ask for help again and for people to keep sharing your posts.
• Talk to people in the neighborhood where Fluffy went missing. Offer a reward for any information leading to finding her.
• If you hear of people spotting her, go to that area and search. Shy animals can be very hard to catch, especially during active times of the day when there are a lot of people around. If you believe she might be in the area, go out during quiet times in the evening or morning when she is more likely to appear. You can also look at renting a humane trap if you are sure she is there but cannot catch her.

6. DO NOT Give Up Hope of Finding Your Missing Pet

The longer you search the more discouraged you become. Keep looking! Here are a few searches I have helped with over the years for people I know:

• A small, very shy dog went missing. We tracked her to a neighborhood where kids had spotted her (we paid them to keep an eye out for her). After a few days we were not able to find her until a kid came forward. A woman in the neighborhood had picked her up and had given her to a family member in Colorado Springs. Once confronted we were able to get her back.
• A dog ran out his front door. The neighbors a few houses down saw him, but not not the people at the end of the block. He vanished! His owners continued searching and found him late that night being walked by a nice couple who lived down the street. They had been leaving earlier when they saw him run by, so they put him in the garage and then left for a few hours and had just returned home.
• A woman’s dog had been missing for months. She sent out flyers to shelters across the country and he showed up here, in Larimer County. Turned out a trucker had picked her up and driven her across 3 states before dropping her off at the local shelter!

We regularly hear stories of animals being reunited years after going missing due to their microchips. Keep that information up-to-date and continue your search!

7. Once you Find Your Missing Pet

Congratulations! I am so excited for you and you must feel so relieved!

• Take the moment and enjoy it. Do not scold Fluffy, she is just happy to see you!
• Plan a trip to the vet if your pet was gone for awhile or appears to be injured.
• Go back and take down those flyers, lost pet reports and postings online so that everyone knows you found your fur kid.
• Return the favor and share information about missing pets for other people!

If you have a missing pet tip or resource that is not listed, Please Let Us Know so we can get it added!