On this page: lost pet tips, templates for flyers,
& PDF forms to report lost dogs and cats.

When you've lost a pet.

Have you lost your pet? We know how you must feel. To assist you, we provided a checklist for you to follow as you seek to be reunited to with your animal friend.

First, start your search immediately. Lost time is your enemy.

Is it possible your pet is still in your house? Check everywhere! Look in closets, behind appliances, beneath beds, behind the books on bookcases, behind sofas and drapes, inside the footrests of reclining chairs, everywhere. Use a flashlight to make certain you check carefully.

Call your pet’s name. Make certain your voice is calm and inviting, not angry or upset. Pause and listen carefully for a response.

Enlist the help of friends and neighbors to assist in your search.

Check close to home first, starting with your property and adjacent properties. Continue searching the direction your pet was last seen traveling.

Search nearby roads just in case your pet is injured. The sooner you can get your pet to a veterinarian, the better.

Be a detective. Look for clues like pet hair caught under a fence or around broken screens.

Practice thinking like your pet. What might have attracted (or distracted) your pet since you last saw him? Could your pet be trapped somewhere; perhaps locked in a delivery truck, caught in the garage of a vacationing neighbor, or trapped inside a nearby construction project?

If you’re not worried about attracting other animals, leave some food and water near your doorway. Or try leaving a familiar T-shirt or blanket with your scent or the pet's scent. Animals respond to their sense of smell.

Create a flyer with a photograph of your pet. Here is where you can download a flyer template which can easily be edited in Microsoft Word or Publisher to create a useful tool. Post copies of your flyers at stores, vet offices, groomers, the library, and anywhere else that will give you permission. Be certain that the phone number you include on the flyer is always available.

Create yard signs to place in key locations around your neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods. You can purchase blank corrugated plastic signs along with metal stands at your nearby Lowe’s or Home Depot. Use a pencil to lightly sketch your wording on the sign’s faces, then go back and darken in the letters with heavy colored markers. Can you paste a picture of your pet on the yard sign, as well?

Next, it is time to contact HSVB&IRC. You can download a «Lost Cat Report» or a «Lost Dog Report». These reports ask the questions we need answered so we can assist you best. (Want to see other reports and forms? Visit our website's «Library».)

Talk with everyone. Mention your missing pet to your mail carrier, the newspaper delivery person, that FedEx man, the lawn care people, walkers and joggers, and anyone who might encounter your missing pet. Give them copies of your flyer.

Go door to door. Speak with all your neighbors. Leave a flyer with them and solicit their help.

Contact «local veterinarians’ offices» and advise them of your willingness to pay for medical care expenses should your animal be found and turned into them. Make certain they have your phone numbers and contact information. (Perhaps you should even provide them a copy of your lost pet flyer.)

Put ads in the newspaper and online. Visit http://craigslist.com and post information (including a photograph) in the local lost+found section. (You'll see it under the "Community" header.) Be certain to include all of the information contained on your flyer.

Tell your story to all your friends on Facebook, your followers on Twitter, and your contacts on MySpace. Go to your email lists, too. Enlist help from anyone and everyone. Ask them to pass the word along to their friends as well.

Update the message on your telephone answering machine. Let people know they have reached the right number and tell them how anxious you are to speak with them. Be certain to return their call promptly.

If you do not find your pet quickly, begin the process all over again. Everyone should know that you have not given up your search.

Do you suspect your pet has been stolen? If so, contact local police and file a police report. It might not hurt to also call animal control for additional advice.