Pets Lost and Found

posted by Marita on Feb 20

Loosing a pet is an extremely traumatic experience. Unfortunately as pet owners it is inevitable that we would have to go through this once. Being a pet owner for as long as I can remember, I thought I would share with you my advice when looking for a lost cat or dog.

Most important: Do not waste time.

Every minuted wasted could mean more trauma and suffering for both you and your pet. So the moment you find out your pet is missing, start looking immediately.

Check your own home first

Check every single nook and cranny on your own property. Look under beds, on top of and inside cupboards, all outbuildings (even those areas that you are 100% sure that has not been opened for the last year), drains, sewage pipes. We have often been in total hysterics, only to find our Toy Pom sleeping in my husband’s slipper inside the wardrobe, totally oblivious to our frantic calls. Search everywhere, under and inside cupboards, drawers, under, inside and behind washing machines, tumble dryers, inside and under Wendy Houses, culverts storerooms, garden sheds, in the garage, under all the cars. Do not assume your dog or cat is too big. A frightened animal may bolt into the tiniest spaces and then get painfully stuck in there. If it is a cat you are looking for, also check on the roof, inside gutters, rainwater down pipes etc.

Before starting your search, make sure someone is always available to answer any call that may come in, or alternatively make sure your call answering facility is activated.

Make Use of Online Resources

List your pet with www.petslostandfound.co.za. This site is developing into a hub where lost and found pets can be listed online. The more people who knows and make use of the site, the quicker and easier it will become nationwide to find missing pets.

Local Animal Shelters

Contact all your local animal shelters and societies within a 200 km radius. Let each and everyone of them have a photograph of your pet with your phone number on the photograph. With every single one of them, check what their policy is regarding the sheltering of strays. Some shelters, like the SPCA, will keep pets only for a limited time, if the pet is not claimed and are not successfully re-homed, they will euthanize the pet. Gross, but a fact. We have often heard about shelters saying that a pet is not with them, while they do have it. Therefore, it is vitally important that you need to physically go to the shelters at least every second day. Insist on going through all the kennels or catteries yourself. A pet without shelter may also be very dirty and matted and may not look like your description or the photograph. Call all the shelters that are too far to drive to, every day. Remember, it may also take a while before someone, who has found your pet, to take it to a shelter.

Some rescue groups were started by people who were afraid that animals would be euthanized if they hand them in to “formal” shelters. Such people will sometimes go to these “formal” shelters to collect pets that are at risk of being euthanized. They would then try to re-home such pets. Ask all the vet’s and shelters that you come in contact with, if they know of anyone doing rescue work, even if they do not work with them or condone their work.

Public Places

Place the same photo with your phone number and the header “Lost Dog” or “Lost Cat” on notice boards. Do this in as many shops; convenience stores; vet’s rooms; animal hospitals; police stations; doggy parlor’s; pet shops; on light poles (especially at busy intersections where people need to stop); service stations; fast food restaurants; local pubs and anywhere else you could possibly get away with it. Ask the grocery shops and convenience stores, if you can put a copy of your flier up in the pet food aisle. If someone picks up your animal and holds it for a few days hoping you will find them just as your pet did, they will need food.

Check with Your Vet

Notify all the Vet’s in your area that you can possibly find and provide them with a picture of the “Lost” pet with your phone number. Most vet’s in South Africa will not accept strays, but will refer a finder to the local animal shelter or pound. However, they are normally very conscientious about such things, and if the pet has been reported as missing to them, they will provide the finder with your contact details or point them to their notice board.

Get Out into Your Neighbourhood

Walk or drive through your neighbourhood several times each day. Ask the postman, crime watch and delivery people if they have seen your pet. Place little flyers in the postboxes of every house in your area. Hand out a recent photograph of your pet and information on how you can be reached if your pet is found. When you walk around your neighbourhood, knock on doors and ask if anyone has seen your pet. You are greatly increasing your chances of finding your pet. I have sometimes seen neighbours volunteering to assist in the search.
Regularly check your area (the streets and the parks) for people who walk their dogs, hand them a flier. Also hand out flyers to any children playing in the area. Even if they have not seen your pet, they would often keep an eye out for it.

Advertise in Newspapers

Advertise in all the newspapers in a 200km radius from your home, or the area where the pet were lost. Often newspapers will not charge for an ad for a lost pet. Mention the pet’s age, breed, sex, colour, time and place lost. Leave out some distinct identifying mark or characteristic and question the person who found your pet to describe it. People who found a pet, will often read the newspapers to see if someone has listed a pet as “Lost”.
Read the “Pet Found” section in the newspapers every day. When you call in to the newspapers, they will often give you advert information over the phone, without you having to get your hands on every possible newspaper. Just get hold of their numbers. It is advisable to follow up on all ads that sound remotely like your pet. It is unlikely that someone will describe your pet the way you would.

Be Aware of Scams

Be careful of offering rewards. If a person cannot describe the characteristic that has not been made known in the ads and flyers, he or she does not have your pet and are most likely just after a quick buck. Do not agree to meet anyone privately. If someone has found your pet, there is no reason for him or her to be secretive. When you do go to see if the pet does in fact belong to you, ALWAYS take someone with you. Be particularly careful of people demanding payment before you have physically seen your pet.

More Tips

Walk around with your pets favourite noisy toy, if it has one and keep on calling. Animals can hear you from great distances. Move slowly, stop and listen. If your pet is somewhere, where it can hear you, give it time to catch up with you. Neighbours, who appear aloof, may become more sympathetic if they see you are not giving up hope.
If your cat is normally housebound, place its (unclean) litter box outside. Its own scent may attract it. Cats are seldom stolen and often will return of their own accord.

Some people have specific ways of calling their cat or dog. When you walk the streets of you neighbourhood, use the method that you would normally use at home.

If your dog is used to being called with a whistle, something special between you, use that. If you normally call your cat “kutsh, kutsh, kutsh”, use that. Whatever the norm is, is what would get your pet to you, or answer you, if it can hear you.
Remember always to carry a bright torch. An injured or scared cat of dog can get into the strangest of places. During the day, shine the torch into culverts and bridges under the roads. Check storm water drain openings in the pavements. At night, shine the torch up into trees and roofs. If your cat is up there it will look at you, and its eyes will reflect in the light.

I read about someone who found their cat, after being missing for two days, in their “Wheely Bin”. The cat apparently went after some seafood leftovers and the lid must have blown close in the wind, or someone possibly closed the lid, without realizing that the cat was inside. It was none the worse for wear, but apparently stank to high heaven.

Be Prepared For the Worst

The sad possibility may also be that your pet were injured or killed crossing a street. Drive around and see if you can spot any evidence in your area of a pet being killed. If you do, try and contact the local police station. They should be able to put you in contact with the local municipal department responsible for cleaning up. You can then question them, to find out what type of animal were killed or injured. If they were not called in to clean up a dead animal, someone may have taken the injured pet to an animal hospital or clinic.

And Most Importantly

Never, ever, ever give up hope. Pets have been reunited with their owners weeks, months and in some instances years later.

DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE !

As much as you want to find your pet, it cannot possibly match up against your pets desire to be back home. Your pet in all likelihood loves you much more than you do it.

I wish you blessings in your search !