The kids are out playing and the puppy is with them. All of a sudden you realize the dog is gone and the kids, who were supposed to be watching the puppy, don’t remember when they last saw the furry critter.
All kinds of things run through your mind. Puppy could be running down the road. The puppy could have wandered off to visit the mean neighbor who lives down the road. It’s past the dog’s dinnertime and you fear he or she will starve to death. What do you do?
The first thing to do is stop and think. Don’t panic because you’ll accomplish nothing.
The next thing you should try is searching the neighborhood around you. Is there a particular neighbor the puppy likes? Does he or she have a canine friend down the street? Check the normal places you take your puppy to walk and play. Be sure to thoroughly cover places that you know the puppy loves to visit – i.e. the local dog park, the swimming hole.
Check the last place you were with the puppy. If the puppy got bored playing with the kids, he or she may have embarked on a search for you.
Don’t be afraid to include other family members, friends and neighbors in your search. The more people who are willing to look, the better chance of quickly finding the dog.
It is a good idea to check out any places near your home that can be dangerous to puppies. These might include heavily traveled roadways and intersections, shopping malls, construction sites or places where food scraps can be found.
Be sure to keep a calm tone of voice when calling for the puppy. If you let your tension and fear show through, you may scare the puppy into traveling farther away.
If these efforts fail, contact local veterinarians and animal shelters. People who find puppies will often take them to the closet veterinarian or to the humane league. Make sure you supply the people you speak with the vital information about the puppy. That includes the dog’s name, as well as your own, address, a telephone number, a description of the puppy and other information you think may help people locate your furry friend.
It does not hurt to personally visit the animal shelters in the event that those in charge don’t recognize your puppy from the description you gave.
If you live in a state that requires dog licenses, immediately call the agency that sells the licenses. Some people will hold a dog that they find at their own home until the owner can be found, but they will contact the licensing agency.
Some local radio and television stations broadcast information about lost pets. You can also run an advertisement in local newspapers.
Put up lost dog posters all around the neighborhood and in any area you think the puppy may venture to. Be sure to include as much contact information as you can. Include a recent photograph of the puppy.
If nighttime comes before you find the puppy, be sure to set out food and water in the event that the puppy returns home on his or her own.
The rest is a waiting game. Repeat the above courses of action and hope with all of your heart that puppy soon comes home wagging his or her tail.
Related posts:
- Protect Your Puppy from Becoming Lost
- What to Do When You Find a Lost Puppy
- Bringing Up Puppy Series – Lost
- Puppy Tails – Oliver Gets Lost
