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1) ACT QUICKLY!
Begin
your search as soon as you realize your pet is missing. Don't wait
- time is of the essence!
2)
GET HELP!
Call Local Police and/or Animal Control Officers immediately. People
frequently call their police department when they find a lost animal
and several towns have their own holding facility for stray animals.
New Hampsire law requires towns to hold all stray dogs and all stray
cats with ID for at least seven days.
Contact
the Monadnock Humane Society immediately.
e-mail us at monadpets@humanecommunity.org
please be sure to include a detailed description of your pet including
gender, color, size, collars worn, the name your pet responds to
and your telephone number. We will check every description to see
if your pet has been brought to the shelter, or if a citizen has
found her. Your pet's description will be kept on file for three
months. Visit the shelter in person and bring a photograph of your
pet for the staff to attach to your lost report. Even with the best
written description, it can sometimes be very difficult to correctly
identify a pet.
Call
neighboring animal shelters, police departments and local veterinary
hospitals. It is not uncommon for animals to be found miles from
where they were lost.
3)
GET THE WORD OUT:
Signs and posters are very effective tools for finding lost animals.
Fill in the accompanying poster, include a photo, and bring it to
the Monadnock Humane Society for up to 20 free black and white copies.
Or, make your own posters to help find your missing cat or dog.
[Make your own Lost Cat poster or
Lost Dog poster]. Include a clear
description of your dog and a color photo. Post the signs at grocery
stores, schools, community centers, veterinary offices, at traffic
intersections and at neighborhood businesses. Provide your police
department with a copy, too.
4)
SEARCH THE NEIGHBORHOOD:
Walk
or drive through your neighborhood several times each day. (Early
morning and early evening are the best times to look for lost pets.)
Ask letter carriers and delivery people to be on the lookout. Distribute
the posters door-to-door. Ask neighbors to check garages or storage
sheds where your pet might have become accidentally shut in.
5)
ADVERTISE:
Place advertisements in newspapers and with radio stations immediately.
Don't forget to monitor the "Found" ads in the classified
section of the local newspapers.
6)
OFFER A REWARD:
Offer a reward on your posters and ads to offer an incentive for
people to become involved. Be cautious before giving money to anyone
claiming to know the whereabouts of your pet.
7)
DON'T GIVE UP!
Even when you have little hope left, don't stop searching. Animals
who have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners.
Be persistent. Keep visiting your shelter and checking with area
businesses where you have placed signs.
PREVENTION
IS THE BEST DEFENSE! An ID Tag is your pet's ticket home! It
can mean the difference between life and death for a pet. Any pet
(even an indoor one) has a better chance of being reunited with
her family if she always wears a collar and ID tag with current
information. Make sure your pets all have ID tags, or at least write
your phone number on their collars with a permanent marker. Ask
your veterinarian about permanent methods of identification such
as microchipping, too.
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