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Tips on How to Protect Your Pet and What To Do If Your Pet is Lost
Most people consider pets part of the family and do a really good job of providing the protection and care they need. But even the most diligent pet owner can have a pet slip through an open door or gate and then the heartache begins. The Peoria Humane Society and American Humane Association offer these tips on how to protect your pet from getting lost and what steps you should take if your pet does get lost.
How to Protect Your Pet
 | Make sure your dog and cat always wears a collar with a current identification tag. Pet stores, veterinary offices, and animal shelters often have forms to order ID tags. |
| The tag should include name, address, phone number (day and evening is best) and the pet's name. If you're willing to pay a reward, then put the word REWARD on the tag too. |
| Put a temporary tag on your pet when you move residences that includes a relative's or friend's telephone number. Many animals are lost when owners are moving. Use masking tape over your current tag or consider purchasing an instant tag, now available at pet stores and other retail outlets. |
| Keep a file with a written description of your pet that includes their size, markings, weight, and unusual features (like a white cat might have a blue eye and a green eye). |
| Keep a photo on file to use for posters or to take to the animal shelter. |
| Keep your cats indoors and tagged! Many stray cats that end up at shelters are indoor cats that slipped past an open door. |
| Get your pet a tattoo or microchip. Tattooing is a permanent ID system that involves marking pertinent information on the skin of the pet. Microchipping involves implanting a tiny electronic capsule under the skin that can later be scanned (many animal care and control agencies, veterinary clinics, and research labs have scanners) to identify you as the owner. |
| Keep dog license tags and rabies tags up-to-date as they can help shelters locate the pet's owner. |
What to Do When Your Pet is Lost
| Act fast. Don't wait days hoping they will come home. The quicker you begin your search for your lost pet, the better the odds of finding them. |
| Check PAWS every day. Don't just call, visit and physically search for your pet. Unless you lost a Dalmatian, many animals are difficult to describe over the phone. |
| Use your pet's photo to make "lost pet" signs. Put them up in your neighborhood and in local post offices, libraries, pet stores, vet offices, groceries stores. Inform your vet and groomer that your pet is lost in case they receive a call |
| Place ads in local newspapers and offer a reward in case someone found your untagged pet and was thinking of keeping him. |
| Watch the found ads. Respond to any that might be close to your pets description. A week of wandering can make a white pet look a drab gray and their description may not exactly fit how you remember Tiger. |
| Call the radio station. Some radio stations will broadcast lost pet information free. Give them very detailed information on where the pet was lost, its description and how to contact you. |
| Search your neighborhood or area where the pet was lost. Ask people if they have seen your pet. Let them know your pet's missing and offer a reward. Call your pet and check any places they could have become trapped, such as basements, garages, or under vehicles. |
| Often times lost pets will hide during the day, so be sure to go out again at night with a flashlight and call out for them. Sometimes a can of food can lure a hungry and scared pet to you. |
For more tips on finding a lost pet, contact the PAWS at (309)686-7297 or the American Humane Association at 303-792-9900.