Lost Your Pet?

Follow these steps as soon as you realize that your pet is missing:

• Act fast! Don't waste days hoping your pet will come home. The sooner you begin your search, the better the odds of finding him or her.

• Contact local animal shelters and animal control agencies. File a lost pet report with every shelter within a 60-mile radius of your home. If there is no shelter in your community, contact the local police department. Provide these agencies with an accurate description and a recent photograph of your pet.

• Visit local animal shelters daily.

• Search the neighborhood. Walk or drive through your neighborhood several times each day.

• Ask neighbors, mail carriers, and neighborhood children if they have seen your pet.

• Advertise. Post notices at grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, groomers, dog parks, and other locations. Also, place advertisements in newspapers and with radio stations. Include your pet's sex, age, weight, breed, color, and any special markings. When describing your pet, leave out one identifying characteristic and ask the person who finds your pet to describe it.

• Don't give up your search. Animals who have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners.

Prevention

Prevent your pet from being lost or stolen by following these general guidelines:

• Never leave pets alone outdoors or unattended in an unlocked vehicle.

• Spay or neuter your pet to eliminate his or her urge to roam.

• Provide your pet with a collar and an ID tag with your name, address, and telephone number.

• Microchip your pet to provide him or her with a permanent form of identification.