Lost and Stolen Pets
by Sue Senn
Sniffles and Friends Professional Dog Walkers
Philadelphia, PA
Voted BEST DOG WALKERS in Philadelphia FIVE YEARS IN A ROW on PHL17 TV’s Hot List!
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
BEST OF PHILLY 2010, Philly Mag’s Best of Philly Issue
http://www.snifflesandfriends.com
No one wants to think about it, but it’s always possible. Your beloved four-
legged family member is lost!
No one wants this to happen, and of course, there are many ways to prevent
this tragedy before it does!
PREVENTION ----
1. MICROCHIP YOUR PET!
It’s inexpensive, it’s quick/easy, and it’s PERMANENT!
Collars and tags can fall off. They can easily be removed.
A microchip is an easily readable tracking device the size of a grain of rice
that is easily injectable by any vet for about $10.
Pets have been reunited with their families YEARS later due to the
technological miracle that is the microchip.
Ask your vet to microchip your dog TODAY.
2. COLLARS, ID TAGS!
Any pet store sells ID tags and collars!
Make sure your pet is wearing his/her name and your contact information on
an engraved ID tag at all times!
3. PHOTOS!
Always have a RECENT photo of your pet!
IF THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENS ---
IMPORTANT!!!! Get the community involved in your search anyway possible!
Flyers, emails, crossposting, pet-friendly media, neighbors, pet-related
business, veterinary offices and clinics, animal shelters, media outlets (TV,
radio, newspaper, etc.), and animal lovers in your community are the best
resources! There is always someone in your community who will be willing
and happy to help you!! Again, pets have been known to make their way
home right away, and they have also been known to make it home years
down the road. Keep looking, keep asking, keep posting, keep calling, keep
checking in person, get others involved in your search, and never give up!
1. Create and distribute detailed flyers! Include –-- Recent photo, date and
time he went missing, where he was last seen, your cell phone number
(make sure you say “call ANYTIME”. Don’t give unnecessary details – people
will get confused and stop reading your ad. Just include what’s necessary,
keep it simple, and hang the flyers everywhere in the vicinity that your pet
was last seen, as well as near your home (he may try to come home on his
own!) Ask local businesses if you can post your flyer in their window, put
them on telephone poles, and anywhere else at eye level! Ask local kids and
senior citizens if they’ve seen your pet – kids, seniors, and mail carriers are
always aware of a new face in the neighborhood, and are always a great
resource!
2. Notify your local police department (as well as in neighboring towns). Give
them as much identifying information as you can (breed, weight, color, sex,
any unusual identifying markings, name, and where he was last seen). Give
the police your name and phone number in case he’s found or spotted. Call
each day for updates. The police won't look for your pet. They will only pick
him up if they happen to see him running loose. If your police department is
a separate entity from your community’s animal control team, be sure to
notify your community’s animal control officials too!
3. Check with groomers, veterinarians, dog boutiques. Maybe someone
found your dog and has taken him to one of these establishments!
4. Visit your local shelters every day IN PERSON to search for your dog
yourself. That way you know you saw with your own two eyes whether or not
he’s there. Don’t depend upon the accuracy of whoever is answering the
phone, and who may be too preoccupied to take the time to look or ask
about your lost pet.
5. Check with local animal rescues. This is completely different than your
local shelter. A rescue is usually a private person who volunteers his/her
time to help animals in need. Your local rescue citizens are easily found by
doing a Google search for rescues in your community (for example, Google
“Philadelphia, PA 501c3 cat rescue”. Ask the rescue if they know of any local
citizens who dedicate their time to pet lost and found – these are wonderful
people who create posters, crosspost through hundreds (often thousands)
of internet contacts, and who often work closely with the media (animal
advocates on the local news stations and newspapers, etc.). These people
are a wonderful resource, and seldom, if ever, charge a fee for their
amazing services!
6. Canvass the area where your pet was last seen day and night looking for
your pet. Be aware of your surroundings, and take a friend and a flashlight
with you for safety!
7. Respond to emails and phone calls reporting sightings as quickly as you
can! If someone saw your dog at the corner of Main Street and Market Street
3 hours ago, he may have moved on; but a sighting is always an
encouraging clue, and is also a relief because you know your pet is still out
there looking for you!
Download a copy of the September/October 2011 Issue here.
by Sue Senn
Sniffles and Friends Professional Dog Walkers
Philadelphia, PA
Voted BEST DOG WALKERS in Philadelphia FIVE YEARS IN A ROW on PHL17 TV’s Hot List!
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
BEST OF PHILLY 2010, Philly Mag’s Best of Philly Issue
http://www.snifflesandfriends.com
No one wants to think about it, but it’s always possible. Your beloved four-
legged family member is lost!
No one wants this to happen, and of course, there are many ways to prevent
this tragedy before it does!
PREVENTION ----
1. MICROCHIP YOUR PET!
It’s inexpensive, it’s quick/easy, and it’s PERMANENT!
Collars and tags can fall off. They can easily be removed.
A microchip is an easily readable tracking device the size of a grain of rice
that is easily injectable by any vet for about $10.
Pets have been reunited with their families YEARS later due to the
technological miracle that is the microchip.
Ask your vet to microchip your dog TODAY.
2. COLLARS, ID TAGS!
Any pet store sells ID tags and collars!
Make sure your pet is wearing his/her name and your contact information on
an engraved ID tag at all times!
3. PHOTOS!
Always have a RECENT photo of your pet!
IF THE UNTHINKABLE HAPPENS ---
IMPORTANT!!!! Get the community involved in your search anyway possible!
Flyers, emails, crossposting, pet-friendly media, neighbors, pet-related
business, veterinary offices and clinics, animal shelters, media outlets (TV,
radio, newspaper, etc.), and animal lovers in your community are the best
resources! There is always someone in your community who will be willing
and happy to help you!! Again, pets have been known to make their way
home right away, and they have also been known to make it home years
down the road. Keep looking, keep asking, keep posting, keep calling, keep
checking in person, get others involved in your search, and never give up!
1. Create and distribute detailed flyers! Include –-- Recent photo, date and
time he went missing, where he was last seen, your cell phone number
(make sure you say “call ANYTIME”. Don’t give unnecessary details – people
will get confused and stop reading your ad. Just include what’s necessary,
keep it simple, and hang the flyers everywhere in the vicinity that your pet
was last seen, as well as near your home (he may try to come home on his
own!) Ask local businesses if you can post your flyer in their window, put
them on telephone poles, and anywhere else at eye level! Ask local kids and
senior citizens if they’ve seen your pet – kids, seniors, and mail carriers are
always aware of a new face in the neighborhood, and are always a great
resource!
2. Notify your local police department (as well as in neighboring towns). Give
them as much identifying information as you can (breed, weight, color, sex,
any unusual identifying markings, name, and where he was last seen). Give
the police your name and phone number in case he’s found or spotted. Call
each day for updates. The police won't look for your pet. They will only pick
him up if they happen to see him running loose. If your police department is
a separate entity from your community’s animal control team, be sure to
notify your community’s animal control officials too!
3. Check with groomers, veterinarians, dog boutiques. Maybe someone
found your dog and has taken him to one of these establishments!
4. Visit your local shelters every day IN PERSON to search for your dog
yourself. That way you know you saw with your own two eyes whether or not
he’s there. Don’t depend upon the accuracy of whoever is answering the
phone, and who may be too preoccupied to take the time to look or ask
about your lost pet.
5. Check with local animal rescues. This is completely different than your
local shelter. A rescue is usually a private person who volunteers his/her
time to help animals in need. Your local rescue citizens are easily found by
doing a Google search for rescues in your community (for example, Google
“Philadelphia, PA 501c3 cat rescue”. Ask the rescue if they know of any local
citizens who dedicate their time to pet lost and found – these are wonderful
people who create posters, crosspost through hundreds (often thousands)
of internet contacts, and who often work closely with the media (animal
advocates on the local news stations and newspapers, etc.). These people
are a wonderful resource, and seldom, if ever, charge a fee for their
amazing services!
6. Canvass the area where your pet was last seen day and night looking for
your pet. Be aware of your surroundings, and take a friend and a flashlight
with you for safety!
7. Respond to emails and phone calls reporting sightings as quickly as you
can! If someone saw your dog at the corner of Main Street and Market Street
3 hours ago, he may have moved on; but a sighting is always an
encouraging clue, and is also a relief because you know your pet is still out
there looking for you!
Download a copy of the September/October 2011 Issue here.
| Diva |
| Sophie |
| Violet and Cody |
| Sue's Views for Happy Pets Sniffles and Friends Newsletter - September/October 2011 |
| Sue's Views |
| Sniffles' Friends |
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