Tips to Help You Find a Lost Pet

Written and verified by the biologist Paloma de los Milagros

Last update: 21 December, 2022

Whether due to human carelessness or because the animal is restless, there are many reasons why a pet may get lost. When wanting to find a lost pet, it’s very important to take action in the first few hours.

The disappearance of pets is, unfortunately, fairly common and happens more during the summer months.

Tips that help you find your lost pet

• After realizing that your pet is missing, you have to take action. These first few moments are key. Remember, the less time he has been gone, the less distance he has been able to cover. Therefore, before heading far away, you should check the areas around your house. Streets, garages, private and public yards, and places right by our home are where lost pets are usually found.
• Alert neighbors and passers-by to make sure. It’s possible that they’ve seen your pet. In addition to alerting your neighbors, you should also distribute informative posters, usually on walls or posts, both close to your neighborhood and farther away. A clear picture and a description are essential.
• If it’s a dog that’s missing, go to all the places where he often goes. Normally, disoriented animals will look for familiar places to take shelter.

• Notify and visit municipal kennels. Although these establishments usually already have a large number of animals and generally don’t perform active searches, many people do contact them if they find a lost or abandoned animal.
• Notify your veterinarian. These experts can tell other pet owners about the lost pet, and those owners may see him while they’re out walking their pets. 
• Take advantage of new technology. Social media like Facebook and Instagram are very useful for spreading information about your lost pet.

How to avoid this problem

In most cases, animal disappearances are the result of human carelessness. Therefore, we suggest taking these recommendations into account:

• Microchips. Although this may seem obvious for dogs, you should also think about getting one for your cat. That’s because cats spend so many hours outside of the house, and the chances of them getting lost are higher. Additionally, if they have a chip, it’ll be easier to distinguish them from other street cats.
• Make them an embroidered collar, or one that has all of their information on it. This is highly recommended, but it can be uncomfortable. However, it ensures that our pets are permanently identifiable.

• Make sure you close doors, gates in your yard, windows and anything else that leads outside. This is a very important measure, regardless of whether or not the owner is at home.

Although this advice will help you avoid future disappearances and will increase your success if you ever have to look for your pet, the most important tip we can give you is to remain calm. Never give up, because there’s always the possibility that someone will find something that will lead you to your lost pet.