Tips on How to Prevent Your Dog From Getting Lost

One in three pets gets lost in their lifetime, so it’s imperative to take preventative measures such as using regular and digital identification tags, microchips or simple things like closing that hole in your fence.According to a press release from the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA),

“Microchips significantly increase the chance of a lost pet reuniting with their owner. In fact, microchipped dogs are more than twice as likely to be returned to their owners, and microchipped cats are more than 20 times as likely to be reunited with their owners.”

With that in mind, microchips are a fantastic tool to protect your four-legged friends from getting lost! But what are your options if you come home and your dog is gone, or he got away from your dog walker, and perhaps you don’t have a chip? (this has happened!)

Do you have a plan on how you’d find your dog?

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

• How’s your dog’s recall? Have you taken a class? Try this: a reliable recall
• IS your dog microchipped?
• Do you have a GPS device you can use during hikes? Whistle, Garmin – there are a lot of brands from which to choose.
• IF your dog is lost: Do you know the rules of engagement from the Oregon Humane Society?
• Are you familiar with Multnomah County’s site and how to find lost pets?

Since you may have asked yourself one of the above questions, please read on for some tips!

5 Top Tips on How to Find a Lost Dog

Lost Dogs of America, provides some super helpful tips and we added a few of our own:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6dVngfFtC0

1. Pet tags are crucial. Make sure your dog has a collar securely fastened with a digital ID tag. Research PetHub as they have wonderful options and your tag is associated with an account and digital file for your dog. Make sure your tag has your dog’s information printed in a LARGE font in case your dog is skittish so people can actually read the phone number.
2. Immediately print large posters/flyers of your pet and hang them everywhere in your neighborhood. Think at least ten blocks from your home and back. These should be the size of yard sales signs. Include a picture, your phone number, the area where your dog was last seen and check your phone often. Also, add the “date they went missing” so they know how many days have passed.
3. Put out food, water, and your dog’s bed at the location where your dog was last seen as there is a good chance he’ll return.
4. Contact your animal shelter (in our case Multnomah County), vet clinics and police departments that your dog is missing. Contact the microchip company too!
5. Post your dog on Helpinglostpets.com and the Nextdoor app. Post your dog’s picture on Facebook and every social media platform you’re connected to.

What to do if you find a pet? See above tips 1, 4 & 5!

If you find a lost pet, post their picture on all the sites mentioned above in tip# 5 and immediately take them to the closest vet clinic so they can scan for a microchip.It is important to act right away as the owner may have simply forgotten to close their fence that morning and have no idea their pet is lost.Remember most dogs escaped probably minutes before you found them so a simple scan for a microchip is a quick solution.Also, if you find a lost pet don’t leave it alone with your own animals for everyone’s safety.And the best advice of all? Don’t PANIC. Just take a deep breath and follow these tips.