All who have witnessed the pleasure of living with dogs know how uplifting and calming their presence can be. Pets wake you up in the morning with a nose lick, greet you excitedly when you return from work, listen to you talk, and support you. Everything about them is beautiful. So, if one day, our beloved pet goes missing, our whole world turns upside down.
The experience is painful, stressful, and devastating. The reason can be either they have run away from home or got separated outdoors. Moreover, someone can steal or kidnap your pedigrees and also maybe breed or sell them. In this situation, the foremost thing is to prepare an action plan to find a lost pet.
What You Should Do To Find a Lost Dog in India:
1. Take action with immediate effect
The first two days are the most crucial. How you find your dog depends on your promptness. Dogs are unable to find their way back home. Therefore, you should increase your efforts and act fast initially.
2. Search the area thoroughly
Firstly, search for the last place where your dog was. Call out its name loudly and try to listen to responses. After that visit your regular walking routes multiple times. Lost dogs are scared, so find them in dark areas, corners, and under cars. Check nearby butcher shops, food carts, restaurants, and garbage dumps.
3. Make posters
One of the best methods to find your misplaced canine in India is with the aid of spreading the word. Print and paste posters of your missing dog with the latest photograph and details like;
- Name
- Identification marks
- Last-seen area and date
- Your name & contact details
- Cash reward
Share the news along with their poster through your social media handles. Place advertisements in both English and local dailies also. Paste posters at nearby grocery stores, medical shops, veterinary clinics, and petrol pumps.
Also Read: 11 Basic Commands To Teach Your Dog
4. Ask people around
Talk to shopkeepers, vegetable or fruit vendors, municipal workers, or children in the neighborhood to get some clues.
5. Visit shelters, walkers, feeders, and vets
Go to the shelters in your vicinity and check if your lost dog ended up there. Enquire from the feeders and Vets of your area. Do every possible effort from your end.
6. File an FIR
File a complaint cum FIR at your local police station. If it is a case of abduction, police can trace it easily. You should provide them with all the details like their size, age, breed, and identification along with their latest picture.
7. Track CCTV footage
When there is no witness, you can rely on CCTV footage. Visit the nearest police station to consult about the process. Find all the spots where cameras are placed in the neighborhood to act quickly.
8. Respond to every lead
Do not feel disappointed, as you may receive several false leads. That can be because of the reward you have announced. Follow every piece of information and go for an extensive search yourself.
9. Leave favorite stuff of your pet out
There are chances that your misplaced furry friend navigates back to the home through its sense of smell. It might be a fluke but, it is a good idea to try. You can keep their bed and some toys outside to assist them and make their way easy.
How to Find a Lost Dog in India:
The problem is the same for many pet parents who have lost their dear friends as they have no idea how to find them. Follow these steps as soon as you realize that you cannot find your dog:
1. Put all prior commitments on hold
Nothing is more important than the life of your pet. Ask relatives and friends, and take time off work. Postpone those events and meetings that you can handle later. Do everything to make time to search for your furry friend.
2. Response to your phone all the time
You must reply to each phone call you receive. Change your outgoing voice-mail message, where you can ask the callers to leave their names and number. If you do not have any alternative number, give details of someone you trust.
3. Register yourself with an automated service
There are some services available these days. The service will immediately call or e-mail thousands of your nearby neighbors to notify them that your animal companion is missing.
4. Make copies of the photo of your pet
Choose a recent colored photo that is clear and accurate. Visit shelters and other necessary groups and request them to save it and post it on their bulletin and notice board.
Mention only the reward and phone number. You should renew the missing dog advertisement before it expires and check the Lost and Found commercials in newspapers. If there is something specific or unique, mention it.
6. Locate all the neighboring shelters, rescue groups, and animal control agencies
There are many such places where you can call for any related information. Make a call daily to everyone, every animal hospital, pet shop, and shelter. You may get the assurance of notification, but do not count on them. The workers are too busy to differentiate between found and your lost pet. So always check their records yourself and be persistent but polite.
7. Look through the neighborhood extensively
- Talk to everyone: postman, watchman, neighbors, and delivery boy.
- Ask children: they are often more observant than adults.
- Use a flashlight: inside drains, sheds and under parked cars.
- Go outside at night: pay attention to every faint sound.
8. Post fliers in veterinarians’ offices
If your missing dog has been injured or has become ill and was taken there by someone. You can also drop some fliers behind. Cover a large radius because lost dogs are spotted a few miles away in many cases.
Also Read: How To Deal With Pet Obesity: Problems And Treatment
Bonus Tips to Find a Lost Dog:
Pet Microchipping
You must register your dog so that you can find your dog using the Microchip. Microchipping increases and improves the chances of locating the lost pet. They go missing for reasons such as curiosity, boredom, anxiety, or in search of a mate. 33% of dogs go missing in lifetimes. But the chances of locating a lost pet are pretty good, especially after microchipping. The success rate of finding a lost dog is about 93% with microchips and the chance of reuniting with their owners is more.
If you want to find a lost dog with a microchip then you must know the working procedure. It is an everlasting identity grain-size microchip, injected under your dog’s skin between the shoulder blades. Microchips are readable via a microchip scanner. The process is as simple as a quick trip to the vet. Take the help of an expert. It does not need a source of power and lasts a lifetime.
Every pet owner should have their dog registered and microchipped. It is a relatively affordable technology that comes in handy if your pet goes missing and can give you some peace of mind. The procedure is not complicated at all. Get the microchip activation ID after the injection and complete the registration.
Conclusion
Don’t lose hope! Stay strong. Lost dogs sometimes turn up months or even years after their disappearance. To all who have the question in their minds, where is my dog? I hope you will have them back home very soon.
Also Read: Things To Know About Stray Dogs In India
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful post. We are also content enthusiasts and provide information on animal love and care.