When a pet goes missing, clients may call you for help. Do you have advice handy that will help them find their pet and, perhaps, earn their gratitude? Simply guide them through these 8 steps.

How to Find a Lost Pet

#1. Ask everyone in the house about your lost pet.

Ask every person where they last saw the pet, and then begin by looking there.

#2. Search the home for your pet.

Double-check the house and all outside structures to make sure that the pet isn’t hiding, sleeping, or locked inside a building. Sometimes a hiding pet can be enticed out by shaking a treat jar or squeaking a favorite toy.

#3. Search the neighborhood.

• Slowly walk or drive through the area where you live several times
• Ask the people you meet if they have seen your pet. For example, talk to:
  • Neighbors
  • Mailmen
  • Delivery people
  • Repairmen
  • Utility workers
• Show them a picture of your pet and provide them with your contact information so they know how to reach you if they see the animal or if it shows up on their property.

#4. Notify animal shelters, rescue groups, animal control agencies, veterinary hospitals and any animal control agencies within a 60-mile radius of your home.

• Contact information can be found online or through a phone book
• In communities that do not have a shelter, contact the police department and ask to speak to the dog warden
• Provide contact information, a recent photograph, and an accurate description of the pet
• If possible, visit the shelters daily
• If it looks like your pet was stolen, talk to the police immediately.

#5. Spread information.

Create posters or fliers following these tips:

• Using a thick, dark marker, write in letters that are large and easy to read from a distance
• Keep the message simple; for instance, “LOST DOG” gets a person’s attention
• Always describe the pet fully; don’t just state the breed

• Make up a notice that includes the following information:
  • Breed
  • Age
  • Sex
  • Weight
  • Color
  • Markings
  • Provide your name and contact information.
• NOTE: To be on the safe side, leave out one characteristic that will help you to positively identify the pet as being yours. When you receive a call from someone who claims to have your animal, ask for this identifying information
• Laminating the fliers will help them to last through wet weather
• Put up notices at high-traffic places such as:
  • Veterinarians
  • Grocery stores
  • Convenience stores
  • Gas stations
  • Laundromats
  • Business offices
  • Dog parks and runs
  • Traffic intersections
  • Pet groomers
  • Pet stores
• Contact local radio stations. Sometimes, they have a special lost-and-found notice that can be read over the air
• Place an advertisement in the local newspapers, county fliers, and county classifieds.

#6. Look online.

Information about a lost or a found pet can also be found online in sites such as:

• Missing Pet Network: www.missingpet.net

• The Center for Lost Pets: www.thecenterforlostpets.com
• Pet FBI: https://petfbi.org
• Fido Finder: www.fidofinder.comttps://   
• Tabby Tracker: www.tabbytracker.com/
• PawBoost: www.pawboost.com/lost-found-cats

#7. Connect online.

• Send an email to all local friends and family members
• Share with any social media network
• Create a Facebook page to share, asking contacts to further spread the information.

#8. Microchip.

If your pet has a microchip, check to make sure all of your contact information is up-to-date.

Remind your clients that while some pets find their way back home quickly, some take a little more time. Encourage your clients to continue searching for their lost pets.

Contact your Covetrus representative for additional information that can be passed on to clients at: 855.724.3461.