If you've lost your dog, you've probably already taken common steps like setting up flyers around town or telling all your neighbors to be on the lookout. While these are great ideas, utilizing the internet to find your dog can be a useful tool, too. Read on to learn how the internet can help to reunite you with your precious pup.
Social Media
You can use your social media accounts to help spur an effort to find your missing dog. Depending on the number of friends or followers you have across different networks like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, you could potentially have hundreds or even thousands of people keeping an eye out for your pet.
When you post about your pet, make sure to add multiple pictures and ask your friends to share the post with their friends. Dogs can wander a long way, so sharing the post can help you to cast a wide net over your local neighborhood and further away, too.
Shelter Listings
The internet can also be utilized to quickly scan through a list of animals that are currently being held at your local animal shelter. If your dog isn't microchipped and doesn't have another form of identification and has been picked up by a shelter, they may be at risk of being put down. Thankfully, most animal shelters and pounds offer websites where you can view a photo and basic information about every single animal that's been picked up and is being held by the shelter. Many also allow you to add a listing for a lost pet that they can view if they find a dog matching your dog's description so they can contact you.
Lost Pet Services
Finally, don't overlook lost pet services like Animal Lost and Found to help find your dog. Many lost pet services now exist that send out flyers and notifications to shelters, veterinarian offices, and pet rescue groups in your neighborhood and the next few towns over. In addition, many offer to create a phone message and then call everyone in your neighborhood to inform them that your dog is lost, what they look like, how to contact you, and whether you're offering a reward.
With these tools, you stand a very good chance of finding your dog again. If you are reunited, make sure to have your dog microchipped if you haven't already, and inform any vets or animal shelters you've previously contacted that you've now found your dog.
Share13 October 2016
After our youngest daughter was in high school, I realized that I liked having people around to take care of and that my window for doing that was closing quickly. Instead of having more children, I decided to see about adopting a pet or two. I looked everywhere for a dog and a cat that would meld well with my lifestyle, and it was incredible to find a pet that I really connected with. However, I was able to find pets that I absolutely adored, and so I made them a part of our home. This blog is here to help new pet owners to adjust to their new situation and to learn to love everything about having new pets.