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I'm Peaches. Take me home. (Photo - FOCAS)
On Independence Day we celebrate liberty, but every year it brings the wrong kind of liberty for many pets. The noise of fireworks displays, even when they’re miles away, often frighten dogs and cats so much that they escape their homes and yards. In fact the days surrounding the Fourth of July typically bring the whole year’s highest number of lost pets.
If you return from celebrating to find your pet missing, here’s what to do, and do it FAST:
(As a precaution, make up a “Lost” flyer with a current photo to always have ready so that you can post copies quickly. See more about flyers below.)
Call friends and family to help with a two-mile radius search. Give them flyers to hand out.
Ask neighbors, local postal workers, and delivery drivers to be on the lookout. Give them flyers to pass around.
Go to all local animal shelters and rescue facilities to search their kennels yourself. Phoning them is not enough. Give them flyers for their files and to post on their bulletin boards.
File a lost dog report and post flyers with all animal agencies in your area.
Post “lost” notices in local newspapers and on Internet sites such as www.petfinder.com. Many allow “lost” ads to be placed for free.
If your local animal facility provides blank lost dog posters, get a copy. Posters increase your chances of finding your dog by 200 percent. Place them in high-visibility areas—grocery stores, gas stations, dog parks—but always get permission to post first. To extend the life of posters that will be placed outdoors, get them laminated at a copy shop.
To make your own flyers and posters, include the following information (use large, black letters):
. clear, recent photo of your dog
. dog’s name
. breed or mix of breeds and description of colors and markings
. cross streets, date, and time the dog was discovered to be missing
. your phone numbers in prominent lettering
. the word “REWARD" (but don’t state the amount, which will be up to you, and don't give anyone money until your dog is safely returned to you)
BEWARE: Do NOT put your name or address on the flyers or posters. Please visit www.petrescue.com/library/find-pet.htm for important info on lost dog scams.
When you and your dog are reunited, remember to remove all the posters you put up, and thank everyone who helped.
(Information drawn from Your Adopted Dog: Everything You Need to Know about Rescuing and Caring for a Best Friend in Need, The Lyons Press, 2007, by Shelley Frost and Katerina Lorenzatos Makris)
For an excellent and comprehensive guide on how to find your missing pooch, go to:
www.petrescue.com/library/find-pet.htm
DON'T GIVE UP! Though we certainly hope it doesn't take that long, lost dogs have been found up to years after they disappeared.
PREVENTION IS BEST! For tips on how to keep your dog safely on your property, please visit this page in the coming days.
FOUND A DOG? Please visit this page tomorrow for tips on how to help that lost pooch.
TODAY’S ADORABLE ADOPTABLE
(Description from FOCAS - Friends of County Animal Shelters)
Peaches (photo above) is as sweet as her name implies! She's a spunky, one-year-old Pekingese mix, weighing just 11 pounds. Peaches loves outings and enjoys the company of other dogs. She's looking for an adopter to take her on adventures, invest time in her obedience training, and give her a lap to cuddle in. You'll be rewarded with unconditional love and little doggy kisses.
Peaches is being fostered in a private home as part of the FOCAS (Friends of County Animal Shelters - www.focas-sandiego.org) rescue program.
To arrange a meeting, please call (858) 205-9974. Her $150 adoption fee includes microchip, license, vaccinations, and spay.
FOR MORE AVAILABLE BEST FRIENDS PLEASE VISIT:
www.sdshelters.com/shelters.html
Wishing all my readers and their families (including the four-footed members) fun and safety while celebrating our great nation's Independence Day!
-Katerina
A lifelong dog addict and rescuer, Katerina (a.k.a. Kathryn Makris) wrote Your Adopted Dog: Everything You Need to Know about Rescuing and Caring for a Best Friend in Need (The Lyons Press, 2007) with coauthor Shelley Frost. Katerina's other credits include seventeen novels, numerous newspaper and magazine articles, and a CBS teleplay.
Email Katerina at youradopteddog@yahoo.com, and visit her and Shelley at www.youradopteddog.com
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