Apart from working with me to increase your chances in finding your pet as soon as possible, there are some practical things you can do to find them a.s.a.p. I would advise you do not wait as time is of the essence. Get onto your local Craigslist and post a short message with photos and your number. Start the ad with the word REWARD. Pictures are essential, even old ones. Remember to add when and where they were last seen.
MAKING A “LOST” ANIMAL POSTER:
1. Use bright colored paper
2. Make it BIG at least 12″ x 16″
3. Laminate it
4. Put REWARD in bold at the top, LOST CAT / DOG in bold at the bottom
5. Use color photo (s) that show the entire body of your dog
6. Include:
– Pet’s name
– Coat color and length
– Distinct markings
– Was it wearing a collar?
– When and where animal was last seen
– Your phone number / e-mail
– How animal is likely to react to strangers
DO NOT include your name, address, or a specific reward amount.
Put the poster around the neighborhood, lampposts, T-junctions and by traffic lights or stop signs. Then at local veterinarian’s offices, at the county animal control shelter and at local animal rescue shelters._If you live in a major city with a lot of restaurants nearby, provide each restaurant with the ‘lost animal’ sign. After all, the animal will find food wherever it is convenient.
If your animal is micro-chipped, contact the company (i.e., Avid) to ensure that they have your current information on file in case someone contacts them about finding your pet.
Visit the local county animal control shelter and local animal rescue shelters to see if your pet is among those at the shelters.
Place an ad in the local newspaper about the lost animal. Include the same information that you have on the ‘lost animal’ sign.
Check ‘found’ pet ads in the local newspaper and on local shelter web sites and Craigeslist or equivalent local sites.
Canvas a three-block radius around your neighborhood from your home and talk to your neighbors. Give them your lost pet’s description.
Unless you see your pet, please do not call for them while you are searching your neighborhood. The reason for this is if they do happen to hear you they will come to where you called, however, you will be walking and searching for them so they will be coming to you after you’d already left, leaving them dis-heartened and perhaps more upset as you would be gone by the time they get to where you were when you called for them. Instead, when calling for them remain in ONE place, either call for them from the front yard or backyard of your home or, if you do look for them by car, look silently, do not call out unless you are home or in one spot for a very long period of time.
If your lost pet is a cat, set up a humane trap, pet taxi or crate in a safe area around the exterior of your home (upper deck or outside porch) at night and leave it out until morning. Put a bowl of fresh soft cat food and water in the enclosure to lure the cat into the enclosure. Also, include a towel, blanket or other familiar item in the enclosure. You may catch other animals as well, but you might also catch your own pet.
fIf you live in a neighborhood that has a homeowner’s association, contact one of the board members and ask them to post your pet’s information on the neighborhood web site and to send out an e-mail to everyone in the neighborhood asking that you be called if someone sees your pet.
Actively keep searching for your pet no matter how much time has elapsed. Lost animals can turn up weeks, and sometimes months or years after they’ve been lost._Here’s a helpful web site:
http://www.petrescue.com/library/find-pet.htm
Don’t give up.
I can teach you to connect with them before you sleep (more likely to be in that alpha-waves state and easier to get through) and communicate something to your pet, even if you think you can’t do it, you can.