What to do if you have a
lost dog
If you have lost a dog or other pet, take
the following steps immediately:
Make Telephone calls:
Call the Screven County
Animal Control Officer (978-1491), FoSCA (564-0005)
and humane societies in all neighboring counties.
Lost dogs can travel up to 10 miles a day. You can
also email us the information at Lisa.Guidos@friendsofscrevencountyanimals.org
Call your neighbors and
keep them on the lookout for your pet.
Call all nearby vet clinics
and animal hospitals.
Call the vet that is
listed on your dog's rabies tag.
Visit local shelters:
Don't just call the nearby
shelters, but visit them every day. Shelters are hectic
places, and staff may not be able to search every
kennel, or they may not recognize your pet from your
description. At the shelters be sure to check any
isolation kennels. Most shelters are forced to euthanise
unclaimed pets every 3 days to make room for more
strays.
Make sure you check the
shelters in surrounding counties, too. Dogs can travel
great distances. Also, sometimes folks will pick up an
animal and take to a shelter in another county.
Advertise:
Run a 'lost dog' ad in
local newspapers.
Check the 'found dog'
ads in the local papers every day.
Put up large flyers in
your neighborhood and on all major roads in the greater
vicinity giving a brief description of your pet and
the date lost. Include a reward if you can.
Visit http://www.findtoto.com/
to learn more about a missing pet recovery service.
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Prevention
Here are ways to make sure your dog doesn't
get lost:
Identification tags:
Microchips:
Microchips
are about the size of a grain of rice and are implanted
under the loose skin on your dog’s shoulder.
These
chips contain identification information that can
be read by scanners that are found in animal shelters,
vet offices, and rescue groups around the country.
When the chip is implanted in your dog, you register
the chips number/letter code and your contact information
with the microchip company’s registry. The code number
will then be recorded in a shared database that can
be accessed by the organization using the scanner.
Prepare a LOST DOG kit:
Include
recent pictures of your dog (both paper photos and
electronic photo files for Internet posting), ready-to-post
LOST DOG flyers with your dog’s photo and an accurate
written description of your dog, and a phone number
where you can be reached at any time.
Close off areas of possible escape:
Check
your home to ensure that there aren’t any open doors,
windows, or gates that your dog could slip through.
Check
around your yard fences to make sure there aren’t
any craters or tunnels under your fences that lead
to the world outside. If your dog is small, remember
that he may be able to squeeze through very tight
places to make his escape.
Check your dog’s leash and collar:
A
loose collar, broken leash fastener, or threadbare
leash could allow your dog to get loose when you’re
out for a walk and he gives it a tug.
Invest
in a quality leash and collar—and make sure you use
them properly.
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