Lost Your Pet – To Do List

Listening to my brother-in-law’s voicemail, on our cell phone, my stomach dropped and my mouth suddenly went dry. We had just finished a glorious morning of hiking with some good friends in the California desert. After walking around, we had treated ourselves to some delicious Mexican food, including fresh salsa, real guacamole, and some ice cold beer.

Now, I was getting a message that our 11 year old black Lab had been missing for 24 hours!

My heart sank. We were spending Christmas and New Years in California with friends. He was staying in the comfort of his Calgary home with his favorite dog walker. She is a dog, a much loved dog who enjoys a good life. What inspired her to sneak out the back door on a sunny afternoon, the day after Christmas, we’ll never know. She is a purebred Labrador, driven by her stomach and her love of people. So it’s possible that she’s gone in search of Christmas leftovers.

Our story has a happy ending, she came home safe and sound. However, it was 72 hours of hell for everyone involved. Our fabulous dog sitter and my brother in law were tireless in their efforts to find her. They covered many kilometers and spent hours driving. By the time we got the call they had already done almost everything that is suggested when losing a pet.

Pet lovers understand that cats and dogs are truly part of the fabric of a family. The loss of a pet can be just as devastating and upsetting as the loss of a loved one. We spent a couple of sleepless nights and spent hundreds of dollars in roaming charges on our cell phones.

Now that our home is back to normal, I thought I’d share this checklist, so others can have guidance if they find themselves in a similar situation. The list is not an official list from the City of Calgary, but we hope it will help others find their lost dogs and other animals.

1. Do not panic your pet doesn’t actually realize it’s lost.
2. as soon as possible call City of Calgary Animal Services at 311. You will be asked to submit a report with all relevant details; race, age, weight, color, tattoo, microchip, etc.
3. Follow the checklist which is available on the Calgary Humane Society website and register on their PetLynx site. You can do this at any time, ideally before your pet goes missing.
4. Call the veterinarians in your local area, to let them know if your animal is injured or someone brings it in.
5. Make lots of posters.They do not need to be done professionally. Posters should include all key information and how to contact you. Print Many copies and then give them to neighbors, put them in dog parks, post them on poles, trees, and anything else where people can easily see them.
6. talk to your neighbors and let them know that your pet is missing.
7. Place ads in local newspapers and media. such as The Calgary Herald 403-235-0511, The Calgary Sun 403-250-4222 and Shaw TV 403-716-6010 which offer free online listings for lost pets.
8. social media leverage, use Facebook, Twitter, SMS, blogs and anywhere else to spread the word.
9. Contact local dog walkers. These are the people who go out almost every day for walks in the neighborhood parks. Use Google for your local area for a complete list.
10. Contact your local community association(s) as they may have a website or an email distribution list.
11. Don’t panic and don’t give up!

keep in mind: This specific listing is for Calgary. Your local area will have similar organizations and communication tools.