There are steps that you can take to recover your dog once he is lost. First, call your local animal control and police station. Unless you are in a very large city or a high crime area, the police will be happy to keep an eye out for your dog.

It is a more fun activity than chasing speeders or chastising teenagers. Neither of these groups will actively look for your dog, but animal control will usually return home your wayward son if they know whose he is. If he has eaten your neighbour’s pet rabbit, you may get a talking to.

Try not to laugh when you hear the sad fate of the fat rodent. And what ever you do, resist the urge to pat your dog on the head and say: “Good dog! He was tasty, wasn’t he?”. That incident did result in a fine.

Neighbours can also be helpful. If one of them was home when the dog got loose, they may have seen which way she was headed. If you are very lucky, your neighbour lured your dog inside, and she is waiting for you in their laundry room.

This is one of the reasons your neighbours should know your dog. It may only cost you lunch and a kind conversation to get her back. If one of your neighbours has children, you can probably recruit them in the effort to find your dog. You will then have extra hands to find the dog, and your neighbour will have free babysitting for a few hours. It’s a win-win situation.

You can also use this idea when your car needs washing, spring cleaning, etc. If you are on friendly terms, many parents will gladly lend the urchins out for some light work and ice cream. Many children will think that you are giving them a treat. If ice cream is an insufficient bribe, normally older children, a small cash payment will also work. Trapped-at-home moms will be especially grateful for some alone time.

If it has been more than an hour since your dog got loose, you probably will not find him by driving around. He has probably found something interesting and then gotten lost. It is not his fault. He is just being a dog. If he can, he will return home on his own. Most of the time, he can not find his way back home.

If your dog has a radar tag, you can call the registration service and put out an alert. If he gets his collar off, or someone can not read it, your only hope is that his radar implant. Most animal controls have readers for these tags, so if he has one and is picked up by the pound, he has a ticket home. No tag, no collar, no free ride.

If your dog does not have a radar implant, your only hope is to pray that he keeps his collar on. If he is still wearing his collar, he has a good chance of making it home.

You might advertise a reward in the newspaper. Collectors keep an eye on these advertisements. If you offer more than the dog fighters or the laboratories, then you have a chance at a phone call. Whatever you do, do not accuse them of prowling for dogs. Just go over there and get your dog. If you see a lot of dogs in their yard, you might tip off the police. This probably will not be effective unless they are really stupid, but most criminals are stupid. If they were smart, they could con money legally.

The two biggest factors in retrieving your dog happen before he gets lost: tags and implants. If he has tags and radar implants, he will likely come home. With only tags, his chances are good if he does not get his collar off. These are very inexpensive procedures that will save you much heartache later.

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Author: National Missing Pets Register