July Is Lost Pet Prevention Month

According to research done by The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, one in five lost pets go missing after being frightened by loud noises like fireworks and thunderstorms.  Though losing your pet can be a terrifying experience, statistics are in favor of your beloved furry family member turning up safe: 93% of dogs and 75% of cats reported lost are reunited with their owners.

The following tips will help you and your pet in the event that he or she goes missing:

• Contact or visit your local shelters and animal control organizations.  File a lost pet report with every shelter, dog pound and animal control office within a 60-mile radius of your home and visit the nearest shelters daily, if possible.
  
• Contact all veterinarians in the area, as people often find pets which they believe are strays and bring them to the nearest vet.
• Search your several times each day, both on foot and in your vehicle. Ask friends to assist in the search as well.
• Check with neighbors and mail carriers to see if they have seen your pet. A recent photograph of your pet with your contact information is a handy way to keep others on the lookout. 
• Place posters and flyers throughout the neighborhood, including grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, traffic intersections, pet supply stores, and other locations. Consider using print and social media to get the word out about your missing pet. Contact your local radio stations (give us a call anytime and we'll be more than glad to help: 337-237-5839) and provide your pet's sex, age, weight, breed, color, and any special markings.  When describing your pet to someone who claims they've found it,  leave out one identifying characteristic and ask the person who finds your pet to describe it.
•  Place food and water outside your home. Consider placing the food in a human pet trap to safely keep them home.
•  Post info about your pet on pet recovery websites and services such as Craigslist.org, TheCenterForLostPets.com and FidoFinder.com. These enable you to share your missing pet info quickly.  National pet care providers can also be enlisted to aid in the search.
•  Lost pet recovery service are now numerous. Pet alert services, such as FindToto.com,  will contact homes, veterinarians, shelters and animal control organizations for a reasonable fee. Locally, we have a faceboook page called Lost and Found Pets Acadiana.