ADVICE

What to do if your dog goes missing

It can be devastating and scary to lose your dog but the chances are, he/she will return safely, especially if you enlist the help of your local dog search team and the community. Your dog is likely on survival mode so needs to be drawn out carefully; below are some steps to take if you do find your dog is missing. The list is extensive so please don’t get overwhelmed; the key actions are in bold. If possible, delegate jobs to family and friends.

• Keep calm – call for your dog in your normal voice which they will recognise better and not pick up on your distress which may push them further away

  • Being silent can also help your dog calm down and come back to you

     

• For the first hour, stay where you lost them – the likelihood is that they will return to where they last saw you

  • Frequent this spot in the following days

  • Leave something with a familiar smell in this spot such as an item of your clothing

  • You could also leave food and water in this spot, and even their bed

  • Be mindful of the trails your are leaving with your scent; you can walk routes that always lead back to where your dog went missing (circular tracks are best)

  • If you drove to a walk, there is a chance they may have gone back to the car

  • Check nearby hedges/fences or holes in case your dog is stuck

     

• Ensure they have access to home in case they find their way back themselves

   

• Check areas your dog is familiar with

  • Check them frequently

  • Ideally talk, either to yourself or have someone with you, in your normal speaking voice – if your dog is nearby, they may recognise your voice (walking with someone who has a dog whom your dog will recognise can help)

  • Ask local people to check their gardens including sheds

  • If there is a car park near to where you lost your dog, or near to where you suspect they are, stay in your car for a while with the doors open, preferably with smelly food inside

  • Another thing you can do, which may sound strange, is boil liver; it is very potent and may lure your dog towards it

    • Please get the land owner’s permission before you do this

    • Keep the ‘liver water’ afterwards to put in places where you want your dog to gravitate towards

  • After this, check quiet places such as woods and derelict buildings

  • Be mindful that you are leaving a scent trail as you walk; try not to cross any roads or railways

     

• Use social media – these days, platforms such as Facebook are the quickest way

  • Ask people to not try to catch your dog - this will likely scare them further

  • Be clear about how they can contact you if sighted – ensure there is an alternative number to call in case you are out of signal, and ensure your phones are charged

  • Add a few photos to show what your dog looks like currently

  • Do not offer a reward if found - that may encourage people to try to chase your dog

  • Start a Facebook/other group dedicated to your lost dog

  • There maybe pages dedicated to lost dogs in and around your area on platforms such as Facebook which you can post details about your lost dog onto

  • Making just one post that is shared on multiple pages is the most efficient way to make changes if necessary

  • Use other media, such as local radio including their website and local news, to get the word out

     

• Have a central information point – someone to collate information for you so that it’s all together; this could be you.

  • When someone reports a sighting of your dog, you ideally want to note the following

    • Their name

    • Their phone number

    • Location, day and time of sighting, and the direction the dog was going in

    • A description of what they saw e.g. what did the dog look like?

    • A decription of the dog’s behaviour e.g. were they running fast?

    • Let them volunteer information rather than you leading them e.g. ask ‘What colour colour did they have?’ rather than ‘Did they have a red colour on?’

       

• Inform local/other authorities/organisations – the more people on the look out for your dog, the better

  • Dog Warden – someone may have handed your dog into them, and it is helpful if your warden is aware your dog is missing

  • Charities such as Dog Lost (a nationwide organisation dedicated to helping find lost dogs) - they will be invaluable in generating a specific poster for your dog, and asking their volunteers to put them up in and around your area

  • Local Dog Search organisation(s) – if you are lucky enough to have one in your area, they will give advice, put up posters and possibly do other activities such as lay traps and feeding stations, use infrared cameras, etc.

  • Local vets – in case your dog is handed into them

  • Local animal rescue centres – in case your dog is handed into them

  • Your microchip database - to register your dog as missing in case he/she is picked up and scanned, and to check your details are correct

  • Local council – to make them aware

  • Network rail and National Highways – so they can keep an eye out

  • Wardens of local forests etc., farmers, gamekeepers and shooting networks – purely as they cover a lot of ground that your dog may go to

  • Local busineses such as bus companies and car showrooms are also useful to contact as your dog may be taking refuge there

  • Local groups that are likely to be out and about such as alotment owners and running/walking groups

  • There are drone services around the UK dedicated to finding lost dogs

  • If you think your dog might have been stolen, alert the police

     

• Put up posters in your area and surrounding areas in windows such as in newsagents, shops including petshops and groomers, community halls/noticeboards and libraries, and outside in places with a large footfall such as lampposts, busstops and entrances to footpaths

  • Ensure they are in an plastic wallets/similar (upside-down with the end sealed) so that the rain doesn’t damange them

  • Ensure they are securely fastened so they don’t blow away; you can always go around to check them regularly

  • If multiple people are putting up posters, try to have some co-ordination so you aren’t leaving any big gaps

  • You could also hand out leaflets – leaflets are great as people can have them with them as they are out and about

  • Leave posters and leaflets far and wide so that you are ideally going beyond where you dog might go, or at least before they do

     

• If you see your dog, crouch down slowly and drop food on the floor – when your dog is scared, it is unlikely to recognise you; crouching down which will be less threatening to your dog than standing

  • Keep still as it normally takes 20 minutes for a dog to calm down

  • Have a slip lead with you as this is the quickest and easiet way to secure a lose dog

If your dog has been missing for over a few hours, and it has not been chased, it will likely settle somewhere. The pattern normally goes that they lay low for a couple of days until they feel settled; then they will venture out and you are likely to get sightings. Do not try to ambush them there as you will chase them further away, and away from their new safety spot. Keep sightings coming in to work out where they are using as their base, then seek advice from a Dog Search organisation on luring your dog in.

Once your dog is found, you should follow these steps again but letting people know the good news!