It can be a very traumatic and stressful experience when your pet goes missing. We have a list of steps that you can take that we hope will reunite you with your beloved pet soon.
Search your home
Check your pet isn’t hiding anywhere. Be sure to check any unusual hiding places. For dogs check your boundaries to confirm if they could have escaped through or under the fence. You can call in family and friends to help you search too.
Ask your neighbours
They may have seen your pet or may offer to help you search. They can also keep an eye out while you go out and search for your pet. This includes neighbours next to and behind your property.
Walk around neighbourhood
Call your pet’s name as you walk around. Knock on homes close by. Concentrate on areas that you go for walks or places you have visited recently. Are there any local homes with pets that your dog likes to play with? Make sure you have your mobile phone with you at all times in case someone finds your pet. It’s also handy to have photos to show people.
Update microchip details
If your pet is microchipped and their details are incorrect, get in touch with the microchip agency and update their details immediately. This can be done here using your pets microchip number.
Contact your local council, animal shelters, vets
Start local, then try surrounding suburbs. Your local council will know if someone has reported or handed your pet over to them. It’s a good idea to visit your local pound or animal shelter in person to look for your pet. Collars can come off and descriptions can vary. Take a collar, lead, carrier/crate and proof of identification with you such as photo and registration papers. In Victoria, you can report a lost pet with RSPCA here.
Use social media
Reach out to your on-line network. Create a Facebook post letting people know you are searching for your pet. You can also search on Facebook for lost and found pages in your local area. There are many sites on-line where you can register and search for missing pets too.
Create a lost pet flyer
Include a photo, your pets name and a description of when and where your pet went missing. Also include your name, contact number and a reward if applicable. Distribute these to homes and shops in your neighbourhood.
Lost and found notice
Place a lost and found notice in your local newspaper or notify local radio stations that offer free announcements.
Keep searching
Don’t give up. Pets can turn up months after they go missing. Repeat calls to your local council and visits to your local animal shelter or pound are important until your pet is found.
If you have lost your pet, we understand this difficult time you are going through, and we hope that you are reunited with your pet soon. We hear many heart warming stories of pets being reunited with their families and we hope this will be the case for you too.