Losing your dog can be devastating. If your pet dug his or her way out of the yard or got out through an open gate, the thought of running after the pet is daunting. How much lead-time did the dog have ahead of you? How much area could the dog cover? Is your dog savvy about traffic to avoid getting hit by a car? It's a lot of worry as you rush around the neighborhood looking as you stop people on the street to ask questions, knock and neighbors' doors to see if they have seen your pet wandering around. Then the aggravation: have to print posters with the dog's photo and name, possibly set a reward, indicate the need for medication, and make sure all your phone numbers are listed.
Questions: Are the dog id tags up to date? Is your dog wearing a collar with pertinent information?
Scammers will call and say they have your pet but they need fare to get it back to you. The story goes that the scammer is a vacationer or a truck driver, saw the stray dog and picked it up but took it out of town to their location. You will need to send money to get the dog back safely.
Here are some tips on what to do when you lose your dog:
-Have custom dog tags with your phone number to call in case of an emergency.
-On the tag, have some other information such as the last four digits of a phone number, your birthday or information that is a secret code. When someone calls and says they have your dog, have them read back the information, verbatim to you. If the person actually has your dog and can read back the information, they have the dog.
-Make a list of all animal shelters and veterinarians in your area; take a poster to them.
-Talk to everyone in the neighborhood, postal workers, UPS drivers, kids, gardeners and show them a photo of your dog and give them the dog's name.
-Canvas the neighborhood with flyers and posters.
-CAUTION: be aware that there are scammers and weirdos who may use your information to get money from you. Do not go alone to a designated place to retrieve your pet. If the person comes to your home, have people with you at all times.
Author Resource:-
Dog IDs (http://www.dogids.com/) is about custom dog tags. Art Gib is a freelance writer.
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