Guest Blogger Column: Helpful Tips for Locating a Lost Pet

Mahalo to Tina for offering these useful tips for finding lost pets. Note: Tina's personal opinions with regard to what a pet means to its owners are not necessarily those of this blog's. 

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How to Trace Your Lost Pet

There are some people who believe that there are worse things in the world than losing a pet, but they’re the folks who’ve never experienced the joy of having one. A pet is more than just an animal that lives in your home; it’s a family member, one who must be cared for and loved as much as your children. So when it goes missing, the feeling is akin to losing a loved one. If you’ve lost your pet and are wondering what to do to optimize your chances of getting them back, here are the options available:

- Start the search as early as possible.

- Call to your pet and ask neighbors and bystanders if they have seen your animal.

- Give their description as accurately as you can.

- Check all nooks and corners in your home – your pet could be hiding somewhere after bring frightened by something or someone, or he could be hurt and unable to move. You could so easily lose sight of them, especially if they’re small and can fit in tiny nooks and crannies.

- Get flyers ready as soon as possible and hand them around or put them up where they’re easily visible to passers by – keep the information on the flyers down to a minimum; a photo of your pet and a number to call if he’s spotted or found is enough.

- Visit animal shelters in your vicinity instead of just calling them to see if your pet has been brought there; you may be able to identify your pet even if he is dirty and disheveled and nothing like the description you provide or the flier you circulate.

- Check with government agencies that are responsible for picking up strays, especially if your pet does not have any form of formal identification like a collar or a tag.

- Visit shelters and other holding locations for stray animals every few days to see if your animal has turned up.

- Call highway departments and check with shelters for animals that have been reported dead – it’s hard to stomach the fact that your pet is no more, but this way, you at least get closure and can grieve your pet before moving on.

- It’s hard to search for and find birds and smaller animals like hamsters and gerbils because they can hide in many places and are not easily identifiable, unless of course your pet is a bird that is colorful and exotic. Also, cats and dogs tend to find their way home if they’re able to, so you need to accept the fact that they could be hurt and also prepare for the worst if the days go by and you don’t find any sign of your pet.

- Some pets turn up even after days of being missing with no sign of them; others turn up dead; and yet others remain a mystery forever. If your pet is missing, do all you can to find him; but at the same time, prepare for the worst and move on with your life.

By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Tina Marconi, she writes on the topic of online vet tech schools . She welcomes your comments at her email id: tinamarconi85[@]gmail[.]com.