Author Archives: Lost Dogs Illinois

Tips for Found Dogs Taken in by Rescues

One of our goals is to work with the animal control facilities and shelters to untangle the mess that is currently the lost pet recovery system in our nation. The main function of tax-payer funded animal control is to hold lost pets until owners reclaim them, thereby protecting the public from traffic accidents, dog bites, scratches, etc. caused by loose pets.

Our organizations advise people that have found a dog to contact their official local stray holding facility (whether it be the shelter, a vet clinic or kennel, the town office or police department). Some stray-holding facilities will allow the finder to “foster” the dog until an owner is found; but many want the dog brought to their facility. And that is okay, as long as they are doing everything possible to proactively reunite the dog with their family. Unfortunately, there are still stray holding facilities that do not proactively search for an owner and the dog may be at risk of being put down at the end of the stray hold period. In these municipalities it is common for a Good Samaritan (the person who has found a loose dog) to want to ensure the best possible outcome for the dog. The higher the “kill rate” of a shelter, the less likely it is that the dog will be taken there. Instead of taking the dog to the correct animal control facility for the location, the Good Samaritan may surrender the dog to a rescue. We understand this and appreciate the Good Samaritan’s compassion for the dog. Unfortunately, many of these dogs are never reunited with their owners, and instead are rehomed to new adopters who may not realize that they have adopted someone else’s dog.

Rescues have the responsibility to make sure that the dogs they are rehoming are truly homeless. If they aren’t, they are simply selling someone else’s property, a criminal offense in all fifty states.

We have compiled this checklist to help rescues find the owner of a missing dog. This does not exempt the rescue from liability if an owner comes forward after the dog is rehomed. Civil cases brought forth by an owner against ar rescue or a new adopter are being won in court.

Scan the dog for a microchip several times with different scanners using Best Microchip Scanning Procedures. If a microchip is found but appears to be a “dead end” fill out a form for our free service by clicking here. This can be used even if the microchip is unregistered. The owners of many dogs with unregistered microchips have been found through this service.
Fill out a found dog report with our partner, Pet FBI with several clear photos of the dog from different angles. Keep the listing up to date.
Print out the free flyers provided by Pet FBI and distribute them door to door in the area where the dog was found.
File a found dog report with the correct stray holding facility for where the dog was found, as well as those in surrounding communities and counties. It is not uncommon for a dog to travel a long distance when they are lost or to be taken to a neighboring county shelter by a Good Samaritan.
File a found dog report with all police departments, sheriff’s offices, town and county offices and other local authorities in the immediate area and neighboring communities. This is often the first place that owners will contact.
Contact all local vet clinics, pet boarding facilities, groomers and pet supply stores to ask if they have had any reports of lost dogs. Supply them with a found dog flyer to post.
Scour the lost dog listings in the area including Craigslist, Nextdoor, Everyblock or other neighborhood sites, Facebook groups, local newspapers and radio stations and all lost and found pet internet sites including of course, our partner, Pet FBI – the nation’s largest non-profit database for lost and found pets.
Consider that the dog could have been lost a long time and do not let appearance factors like weight, overgrown toenails, matted coat, etc. deter your search for an owner. Also consider that the last person who had the dog may not be the rightful owner. You owe it to the dog to find the rightful owner and find out the truth.
Consider that the owner may not speak English or may not have a cell phone or the internet. Do not assume that because no one has responded to your social media posts, that the dog has been abandoned. Many people are not on social media or do not have access to the internet. Expand your search for an owner to include other languages. Use more traditional methods of getting the word out, such as door to door flyering and signs.

These steps will ensure you have done your due diligence to find the legal owner of the pet and would minimize any possible future legal action if an owner comes forward later. However, the only way you can truly indemnify yourself as a rescue, is to only pull dogs from shelters after they have completed their legal stray hold time.

We understand that this places an additional burden on rescues but the positive implications are huge. Rescues who reunite a dog with their rightful owners free up an adoptive home for a dog who truly needs it. Valuable money and resources can be saved to help truly homeless dogs. Happy reunion stories are widely shared and can elevate the rescue’s reputation in the community. This increased goodwill (and potential donations) enables the rescue to save more lives. Let’s all work together to help more lost dogs get home!

1/21/2021

Lost a Dog While RV’ing? Here are Some Tips to Help

According to a recent study, about 85 million households in America have a pet, roughly 68%. Cats and dogs are the most popular pets, with the number of dog households edging out cats by about 13 points (60.2% dogs vs. 47.1% cats). RV’ing with your pets (whether full-time or part-time) is gaining popularity so I would like to offer some tips to help if the unthinkable happens and your dog goes missing from your RV or campground.

Our organization, Lost Dogs Illinois, has helped in the recovery of thousands of missing dogs from all types of situations. We are a network of pet-loving volunteers who have banded together to assist owners who are missing a pet.

Some of our state affiliates have been in existence since 2010 and we can now look back at our statistics and make some pretty good predictions about what may or may not have happened to your missing dog. The most important thing we have learned is that lost dogs (and pets of all types, although we focus our efforts on dogs) do not drop off the face of the earth. They are out there somewhere. But sometimes connecting the dots to get them home is counter-intuitive to what the owners may do in a panic.

We have learned to profile lost dogs (similar to what is done in missing person cases) to achieve the best possible chance of a successful recovery. Dogs lost while travelling fit into our profile category Dogs Who Have Gone Missing From Somewhere Other Than Home. This category also includes dogs lost from boarding kennels, petsitters, vet clinics, groomers, animal shelters, foster homes, newly adopted homes and car accidents. Today we will talk specifically about dogs lost while RV’ing.

Although preventative methods such as making sure your pet is wearing a collar with visible ID tags and is microchipped with up to date contact information are important, that is not what we want to discuss here. It does no good for your dog to have a microchip or a collar if he can’t be caught!

A few things to consider which may be hurdles to these cases:

The owner may not know the geography of the area or even which county they are camping in. Since most animal shelters and sheriff’s departments are administered by county governments, this can be an issue. Owners may also not know where the vet clinics are – another important first point of contact when your dog goes missing.
The owner may be on a time frame which requires him to leave the area before the dog is found.
Campgrounds often have summer time fireworks celebrations. Camping and fireworks can be a deadly combination for an older, sensitive or fearful dog. Dogs who were not afraid of fireworks in their younger years may become sensitive to loud noises as they age. If your dog is afraid of loud noises, it may be prudent to check ahead with the campgrounds where you will be staying so that you can make alternate plans if necessary.
The owner may not have good wi-fi or cell service and a printer to quickly file a report and print and deliver flyers in the area where the dog went missing. If the dog ends up at a nearby animal shelter and the owner hasn’t filed a lost dog report with the shelter, the shelter may adopt the dog out to a new home or put him down in as little as 24 hours depending on the stray hold ordinances in that municipality. Police departments, vet clinics, animal shelters and stray holding facilities do not cross-communicate. You must contact each of the facilities separately if your pet is missing.

Although it may seem like a hopeless situation, the good news is that it isn’t! We’d like to share with you what we have learned. Although we never say never please consider these tips:

If your dog has bolted, especially from a loud noise or other scary situation, he may go into survival mode quickly. This means that he will revert to behavior similar to a wild animal and may be reluctant to approach any humans, even his owners.

These dogs do not generally travel very far – often staying VERY close to the spot where they went missing from. They generally do not head for home or set off on long journeys (unless they are chased). Consider your campsite ground zero and keep it quiet. Do not allow people to congregate there. Many lost dogs will be drawn back by the familiar scent of their owner and vehicle but they will remain wary if there are too many strangers milling about.
The MOST important thing you can do is to spread the word to everyone that is helping you to NOT call, whistle, approach or pursue your dog. The dog needs to be lured back to the spot it went missing from, as if you were trying to lure a scared cat or tame a wild animal like a squirrel or chipmunk.
Do not offer a reward for your dog. Rewards encourage people to chase your dog which could endanger his life if he is chased into traffic. Rewards will also bring scammers out in full force which will distract you and waste your time chasing down false leads and sightings.
Using scent articles (the dog’s bed, toys, and dirty articles of clothing or bed sheets from the person most bonded with the dog) will help keep the dog in the area. Place them somewhere safe (well away from roadways) along with smelly, tasty food and water. When hunters lose a dog while hunting they leave their coat out on the ground at the place they last saw their dog. The dog is often lying on it when the hunter returns the next day.
If you see your dog, immediately sit down on the ground (preferably upwind) and toss a few tasty treats (like small bits of hot dogs) out around you. Stay low and do not make eye contact. A scared dog will not usually approach a group of people. Do this by yourself and ask others to leave the area. It may take a few minutes, or a few hours, but your dog might approach you. He may circle around and approach you from behind. Be patient and speak softly or not at all.
Flyer the area heavily and use intersection signs to alert passing motorists about your missing dog. Again, remember to stress “Do NOT Chase” on your flyers and signs. The greatest risk to a shy lost dog is that he will be chased into traffic and killed.
Be patient. Dogs lost from somewhere other than home may hunker down for a day or two and then creep back out to where they went missing from – lured by the tasty food and scent items you left.

How We Can Help:

If your pet goes missing, immediately file a report with our partner, Pet FBI at www.petfbi.org. This is a FREE international database (Canada and the U.S) where your dog’s description and photo will be stored until he is safely home. This enables our volunteers to watch for potential matches with found dog reports. Our volunteers will also create a free flyer and post it to our social media sites including Facebook and Twitter, which have large, local followings. In some states we are also available for free consultations with more tips and advice especially if it becomes necessary to humane trap your scared lost dog. We have a series of articles on our website that explains the trapping process in detail.

Please read through our website articles for more tips and ideas which may help you in your search.

1/12/2021

Moving? Here are Some Tips to Keep Your Dog Safe

According to the U.S. Census the average American will move 12 times in their life. Moving is stressful for both two and four legged family members. Your dog’s health and behavior can be off during and after the move. Below are tips for moving with your dog to help alleviate some of the stress and keep your dog safe.

Ensure your dog is wearing a properly fitted collar with current information on the ID tag.
Contact your dog’s microchip company to update your contact information.
During the move (both from old residence and new residence), confine your dog in one room with familiar bedding/toys. If your dog is crate trained, use the crate. Close the door and place a large sign stating, “Do Not Enter”. If it is not possible to confine your dog to one room, then considering boarding him/her during the move.
Keep your dog’s current vaccination records as well as a list of numbers for your local animal control, non-emergency police line and area vet clinics handy. Keep a current photo of your pets either printed or handy on your phone or tablet.
If you are driving cross country for your move, be mindful of your dog darting out of car doors at gas stations, rest stops, hotels, etc. Make sure your dog is attached to the leash before you open the door and you have a firm grip on the leash.

Once moved:

For at least the first few days place baby gates in front of all exterior doors even to the door leading to the garage.
If your new home has a fenced yard, perform a safety check; look for holes both in and under the fence, loose boards, broken gate latches, etc. Continue to be diligent – watch your dog’s behavior for the next few weeks in the fenced yard, he/she could find the weak link to escape out of the fenced yard.
Familiarize yourself with your new community by getting to know where your shelters, animal control facilities, vet clinics, police departments and town offices are. You will want to have this information handy in case your dog goes missing.

If your dog does get loose/lost please immediately file a report with our partner, Pet FBI at www.petfbi.org to create a free flyer and social media links. One of our volunteers will post your listing to the appropriate state or provincial Facebook page. Then check out this article from our website: Tips For Dogs Who Are Lost From Somewhere Other Than Home.

1-5-2021

Tips for Newly Adopted Dogs or Foster Dogs Who Get Lost From Their New Home

More and more people are choosing to adopt their new best friend from a rescue or shelter. This is a wonderful thing! Many dogs, through no fault of their own, need a new home. Unfortunately though, many people are unprepared for the challenges of living with a dog who may be shy, fearful or stressed by the changes in their lives. These dogs are considered “high flight risk” and go missing with alarming frequency from either their new owner or a foster family who may be temporarily caring for them until a permanent home is found. Many owners bring home their new dog and within a few hours or few days, the dog has slipped out of his collar, out of the yard or out of the house.

By far, the greatest risk to these dogs when they go missing is that they will be hit by a car and killed. It happens far too often and this article was written to give you tips to help you safely capture your new pet. Although it sounds like a horrifying situation and many people panic, the good news is that with a calm, clear head and a good plan of action these dogs are usually quite predictable in their actions and can be successfully recovered.

Although we never say never, please consider these tips:

These dogs do not generally travel very far – often staying VERY close to the spot where they went missing from. We find this to be true even if they are unfamiliar with their new location. They generally do not head for an old home or shelter, or set off on long journeys unless they are chased or pressured.
The MOST important thing you can do is to spread the word to everyone that is helping you to NOT call, whistle, approach or pursue your dog. The dog needs to be lured back to the spot it went missing from, as if you were trying to lure a scared cat or tame a wild animal like a squirrel or chipmunk.
Using scent articles (the dog’s bed, his kennel or crate, toys, and dirty articles of clothing or bed sheets from the person most bonded with the dog) will help keep the dog in the area. If the dog is not yet bonded with you you may want to ask the shelter or rescue to provide clothing of the kennel attendant or foster parent who cared for him. If the dog had a kennel mate ask if you can rub an old towel over that dog to use as a scent item also. Place the scent articles somewhere safe (well away from roadways) along with smelly, tasty food and water. When hunters lose a dog while hunting they leave their coat out on the ground at the place they last saw their dog. The dog is often lying on it when the hunter returns the next day.
If you see your dog, immediately sit down on the ground and toss a few tasty treats out around you. It may take a few minutes, or a few hours, but your dog might approach you. He may circle around and approach you from behind. Be patient and speak softly or not at all. Do not be surprised if he does not respond to his name. Newly adopted stressed dogs do not usually respond to sound or sight. They respond best to the smell of familiarity.
Flyer the area heavily and use intersection signs to alert passing motorists about your missing dog. Again, remember to stress “Do NOT Chase” on your flyers and signs. The greatest risk to a shy lost dog is that he will be chased into traffic and killed.
Be patient. Dogs lost from a new home or foster home may hunker down for a day or two and then creep back out to where they went missing from – lured by the tasty food and scent items you left.

Please read through the rest of our articles on Shy Lost Dog Strategies. If shelter and rescue staff and volunteers are helping you please ask them to read through our series Harnessing the Energy to give them pointers on how to most effectively use their time. Never give up! Your lost dog is counting on you to bring him safely home.

Six Things to Consider Before Using a Drone in Your Lost Dog Search

A few weeks ago a major news network ran a very heartwarming story about a lost dog named Meadow who was found by a commercial drone operator. It caused a flurry of discussion and brought renewed hope to lost dog owners who thought using a drone was going to be the answer to finding their dog. Although drones may be a useful tool in a few exceptional cases (like Meadow’s) they are less likely to produce sightings and leads than the good old fashioned flyers and signswhich we still recommend first and foremost.

Hand delivering flyers is the number one way lost dogs are found. The best chance of success is to have as many sets of eyes looking for your dog over the largest area possible. A drone operator is one set of eyes within a very limited area.

There are a few things that we would like you to consider before you rush out to buy/borrow a drone or hire a drone operator.

Is the dog friendly or shy? Meadow, from the story, was a friendly dog who immediately went up to the drone operator when he went to the location. Shy dogs would probably flee and may even panic and run into danger such as onto a busy highway or into a lake or river. Even if the drone spots your dog you may still require a lengthy process to capture him. Be prepared to set up a feeding station and a humane trap.
What color and size is the dog? Meadow was a large white dog. She was fairly easy to spot against the dark fallen leaves on the ground. A smaller or darker colored dog would have been easily missed. Meadow may have been missed if there was snow on the ground.
What is the vegetation like? Lost dogs usually prefer to use evergreen trees for cover. Meadow was lost in a deciduous forest in the fall after the leaves had fallen which made her easier to spot. During the spring or summer she would not have been seen. If it was a mixed forest (evergreens and deciduous trees) it is highly unlikely she would have been seen. And of course, dogs hiding under likely spots – under old machinery, boats and cars, in sheds, under porches and decks would not be seen by the drone.
Is the drone operator experienced with the proper licensing, permits and training? Make sure you know the regulations in your area. You may face hefty fines for flying a drone over private property, over national parks or in FAA controlled space. Get the landowner’s permission before flying over private property. Drones hovering for any length of time or flying at a low altitude may be considered an invasion of privacy in some municipalities.
Is the quality of the drone good enough to do the job that you need it to do? Cheaper recreational drones may be a waste of time, money and effort. That money and effort could have been spent on flyers and signs which are much more likely to produce results.
Is the drone operator experienced in lost dog behavior? We would like to point out that the drone operator who went out to search for Meadow did so on his own accord after seeing her story on the internet. Although his intentions were good, this could have ended very differently if Meadow had been scared by either the drone or the operator. Make sure that you, the owner, stay in control of the situation. Never post an exact sighting location on the internet and ask people to contact you first if they want to help. Encourage them to assist with flyering and signs instead of searching, either on foot or by drone without your permission.

Carefully consider your budget and your situation before placing all of your eggs in the drone basket. Spend your money and your efforts where you are the most likely to get the sighting or lead of your missing dog. You can print a lot of flyers, make signs and run newspaper ads for less than you may spend on a drone. Remember, your dog is relying on YOU and your good choices to help bring him safely home.

12/08/2020

Three Places You CAN’T Put Your Lost Pet Flyers

Be very careful about posting your lost pet flyers. You may incur hefty fines or at the very least waste valuable time and resources while you are looking for your missing pet. Here are at least 3 places where you cannot post your flyers. When in doubt ask permission before you post!

1. It is illegal to put a flyer into a U.S. post box. You may be fined for every flyer placed inside a mail box. It is also illegal to affix the flyer in any way to a mail box. Use the newspaper box if available or better yet, take the flyer directly to the door and ring the doorbell. This personal approach will ensure that the flyer gets into the house and will give you an opportunity to ask the homeowner directly for their help. They will remember you and will be more likely to call you with a sighting if they have heard your story and see your distress.

2. It is illegal to affix a flyer to any utility pole. Poles are the private property of the utility company, telecommunication company or municipality that owns them. Staples, nails and tape on poles are a danger to the workers who have to climb the poles.

3. Bus shelters are the private property of the bus company. Affixing flyers to the windows of a bus shelter can be a safety hazard and is not permitted.

Be courteous and obey the law when delivering and hanging your flyers. Ask businesses and home owners if you can put flyers on bulletin boards and/or use large intersection signs on their property. Also, do not use tape that will damage property when flyers are removed. Alternatively, use zip ties or plastic packing wrap to attach flyer. Bear in mind though, many municipalities and home owners associations have rules regarding signs and they may not be allowed. They may be taken down and disposed of. Check first BEFORE you go to the expense of making them. Unfortunately, most of these rules have come about because untended lost pet flyers and signs create unsightly litter when they are not removed in a timely fashion. Remove your signs and flyers as soon as your pet is found. Don’t be part of the problem!

Create your FREE flyer from our software partner Pet FBI. See article Create Your Own Flyers to learn more.

We always say it takes a village. Every.Single.Time.

On 3/14/30 Roxy, a Cheweenie mix, went on a car ride with her mom to her work. Unfortunately, she got away from her mom in a busy industrial park area, where there was a main road and a lot of construction going on. She was wearing a collar with tags, sweater and dragging her leash.

Her family put her on Lost Dogs Illinois, printed and distributed flyers and even brought out her favorite cousin dog to see if they could lure her out. They had no luck, no calls.

Fast forward to 4/2/20. A very observant man saw a small dog running along the ramp while he was exiting an expressway. He tried to follow it and saw it go into a gas station parking lot. He went into the gas station and inquired about the dog and they told him they had been seeing the pup for 10 days and feeding it.

Turns out this man had his own experience with a lost pup and knew who to reach out to in order to get this pup safe.

A group text was started in order to get further information on where the dog had been seen, when, and what the feeding routine was.

That night a trap and trail camera were set up. The pup seemed to be on a daytime schedule but would start to normally be seen about 3:00 or 4:00 am. Trap was zip tied at 11:00 PM but when leaving I happened to see her near the same ramp she was seen on earlier. I turned around, reset the trap and waited. No show up to 12:00 am so the trap was zip tied open and baited with goodies.

Once home I checked Helping Lost Pets to see what was missing from that area. There she was. Roxy. Missing from about 1/3 mile north of where this pup was being seen. But because it is a busy construction zone while they completely reconstruct a highway interchange, her owners didn’t do too much flyering to the south of that road, just mostly north. Most people would not believe this little pup would be able to make it to the area she ended up at.

4:27 am she showed up and ate everything in sight. Only problem with that is I was planning on resetting and baiting at 5:15. I did, and she didn’t disappoint. 6:25 she showed up and was in the trap 2 minutes later. As soon as I saw her, I knew it was Roxy. I called her owner, no answer. I text pictures and video, called a second time and then they called back. They could not believe I had her. She had been missing for 20 days!

I offered to drive her to her owners home so that we could let her out of the trap in a closed garage. Roxy was chipped, but I was going to see what her reaction was once I got her home.

There was no doubt she was home.

Roxy’s story came together because of the Village we always mention. From Mike who saw her on the ramp and stopped to inquire about her at Speedway, to Kathy and her crew who were feeding her, and to Mike’s wife Flo, who although they have lost their own dog, Fae, and have not yet found her, continues to reach out to, and has faith in, those of us who have the tools to complete the process.

Never underestimate a dog’s instinct to survive. Roxy lost her sweater, collar and leash at some point in those 20 days. But she kept herself safe and found her resources, ‘til help arrived. Welcome home Roxy!!

Thank you Elaine!

2019 Income/Expenses Pie Chart

Here is the breakdown of Lost Dogs Illinois’ 2019 Income and Expenses. Our Not-For-Profit group is made up of volunteers spending countless hours on our mission of reuniting lost dogs with their owners. As you can see, not only do we post the dogs on our Facebook page/Twitter feed, but are involved in Community Outreach programs, mostly in under-served areas, in which we provide microchips as well as ID tags, collars/leads, educational material, treats and toys. Lost Dogs Illinois has also used funds to provide microchip scanners to police departments and helped owners with reclaim fees. We want to thank our various supporters including donors, fans, volunteers, vet clinics and animal control facilities for making all of this possible. We could not do what we do without all of you!

The Lost Dog Puzzle

Just like a jigsaw puzzle, there are many pieces that need to fall into place when looking for a lost dog. There isn’t a “one size fits all” answer. Not every lost dog will need to be trapped, nor will every lost dog end up in a shelter. Not every microchipped dog will be found and scanned; nor will a tag and collar get every dog home because they can fall off.

From our experience we have seen a lot of lost dogs who may never be found because an owner or a volunteer group who is helping an owner puts “all of their eggs in one basket” and doesn’t consider the other pieces of the puzzle.

Here are a few tips:

1. Enter your dog’s information in a free national lost dog database like Pet FBI, even if you are working with a volunteer group that has their own local database or Facebook group. If your dog is transported or travels a long distance, you need to know that your dog’s information can be searched nationally and for an indefinite period of time. Facebook listings quickly slip down a page and are forgotten.

2. Invest most of your time and energy into hand delivering flyers in an ever-expanding area of where your dog was last seen. Even if your dog was picked up by someone who intends to keep him; somebody, somewhere probably saw something. Make an emotional connection as you hand out flyers. This will help people remember you and your dog if they later recall something or see your dog tomorrow.

3. If your dog is microchipped immediately contact the microchip company to “red flag” them as missing and to make sure everything is up to date. This will prevent a shelter, rescue or finder from trying to re-register the microchip to a new owner without you knowing about it. Remember, this could happen months or even years from when your dog went missing.

4. Consider humane trapping ONLY when you know your dog is hanging out in one area and is reliably eating at a feeding station. Rushing out to set traps before this happens is usually a fruitless endeavor and is a common mistake that can cause an owner to lose hope. Likewise, when an owner sits quietly at the feeding site while the dog is eating and also leaves scent items, a humane trap may not be necessary. The dog may approach on his own. Check for other things that the dog may be able to be trapped in: a shed, house, yard, tennis court, etc. This may work as well as a humane trap.

5. Owners should always have control of the “search”. Volunteer groups who work independently without the owner’s knowledge or approval may undermine efforts of the owner. Also, this additional pressure on the dog may make him leave the flyered area or run into traffic and be hit. If you are an owner and a local volunteer group is not letting you retain control, ask them to remove themselves. If you are still having issues and they are setting traps or changing numbers on your flyers without your permission, call your local police department to ask for assistance. This is YOUR dog. You have the right to make the decisions.

Six Tips for Dogs Who Go Missing From a Fire or Disaster

Dogs who go missing from a fire or disaster fit our profile of “Dogs lost from a Stressful Situation” so many of the tips are similar to those in an article on our website. If not chased or pressured out of the area, these dogs will often remain hiding nearby until they feel it is safe to come out. Additionally, these dogs may have been injured in the fire or disaster which may add to their level of stress and fear.

Panicked searchers who are worried about your dog’s survival may make matters worse by scaring your dog out of the area. Unless you are sure that your dog was critically injured, ask people who are wanting to help you to distribute flyers instead of “searching”. This will give your dog an opportunity to come back on his own.

Here are our SIX TOP TIPS if your dog went missing from a fire or disaster.

1. Leave scent items – including smelly food, water, your dog’s bed or blanket and articles of dirty clothing or even the pillowcase of the person most bonded with the dog. Many of these dogs have fled in terror and are hiding nearby. They may creep back when all is quiet.

2. Ask everyone who is helping to not call or chase your dog. Your dog is already scared. Additional pressure from people “searching” may cause the dog to travel further away. If they are injured, they should be allowed to hunker down and rest. Dogs are incredibly resilient and you see many stories in the media of dogs who survive natural disasters such as earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes and who eventually come back on their own.

3. Enter your dog’s information into a national free database Helping Lost Pets or Pet FBI. This will ensure their information is searchable if they are found far away or are lost for a long time.

4. Quickly hand distribute flyers in the immediate area where your dog went missing. Expand this area as time goes on and remember to ask everyone to not call or chase your dog. If you have been injured in the fire or disaster, enlist trusted people to help you who understand how important it is to remain calm and organized.

5. Notify all local authorities including police departments, animal shelters and vets clinics. Take two copies of your flyer to each – one for the back staff and one for the front desk and the public bulletin board. If your dog is injured, a Good Samaritan may pick him up and take him to a vet or shelter for medical care. Likewise, someone visiting the clinic may see your flyer and recognize your dog.

6. If your dog is microchipped immediately contact the microchip company to “red flag” your dog as missing and to make sure your contact information is up to date. The microchip company needs to know that they should not transfer ownership to a new person without contacting you first. This can happen if your dog ends up in a shelter and completes the stray hold (which may be as short as 24 hours) without being able to reach you.