Don't Lose Me! You're My Whole World.

Having a pet is a major responsibility. That's a plain and simple fact. In all honesty, humans should probably have to take some sort of test to be able to have one. Many of us aren't meant to be pet (or human) parents. But, alas, basically anyone can have a pet. All I ask though, is to try and be as responsible as possible. Put your pet's needs ahead of all else. They deserve that. With that said, accidents happen; even to me. I've left the door open and my dog (when he was much younger, of course), flew out and ran into the woods. We aren't perfect ... that's for sure. We do the best we can, but still, unfortunate circumstances can bring us to these hard times. There are numerous ways to go about locating your dog or cat if they stray away from home. But first, let's talk a little about preventative actions that can be put in place.

Some of these preventative measures may seem like common sense, but I'm going to list everything, regardless. First, make sure your dog or cat has a collar on with a tag stating their name and home address. Easy enough, right? Make sure their collar isn't too loose. My dog has been known to back out of his on occasion. When outdoors with your dog, keep them leashed. If you have an enclosed area, that's one thing. But no matter how trained your dog may be, if you're out away from home and they see a wild animal, most of them will sprint without thinking. Better safe than sorry. A great preventative measure is to get a GPS tracker for your dog or cat. Even better; get them microchipped. You'll always know where they run off to. In my opinion, these two actions are probably the most important. Make sure that, if you have a fenced yard, it's "escape-proof." Many times, there could be a compromised area that was overlooked. Keep certain windows and doors closed that could be used for escaping. Sure, more common sense stuff, but I still feel it needs to be said. Precautionary measures, such as stress-relieving supplements and tight calming clothing, may prevent your dog from running away due to a stressful or loud situation. Lastly, stay alert and always check your surroundings. There are way to many lost pets due to being unaware or not paying attention. WAKE UP, PEOPLE!

Okay, so your dog/cat has already escaped you. That's the absolute worst feeling! First and foremost ... act immediately! Do I really need to say this though?! Of course you would act immediately. Before going all out, search your own property first. If you have a big place, your dog or cat could be anywhere! Check all the corners of your own house/yard before anything else. Nothing? Are they microchipped? Can you track them somehow? If so, do that. Still nothing? Start putting up flyers around the neighborhood. Make some bigger poster size ones as well and put them in high traffic areas. Describe them in detail with a clear picture. That way, people will be able to see/read them from their vehicles. Next, find out where lost pets are taken in your town. Perhaps they've already been picked up and are waiting for you to get them. Make sure to check local shelters and rescues as well. Look online. I'm sure there are different websites that have lost pets on them where you can search by city. The power of scent can be extremely useful. Try going to where you saw them last and leaving some of your clothing, their toys, litter boxes, crates, etc. there for them to find their way back to. Their noses work a thousand times better than ours! Contact your local vet clinic to see if any random dogs or cats came in matching your pet's description. If there are still well read local papers in your area, you could place an advertisement. The internet is probably a better bet though. You could check roads to make sure that (god forbid) they didn't get hit by a car. You could even contact the DOT to be more certain. Lastly, if they're a newer rescue dog or cat, you may want to contact their former owner. They could have attempted to go back there.

Hopefully these preventative measures and ideas for locating a lost pet will help you. Hopefully, you'll never lose your pet to begin with. It's a horrible and stressful experience that I'd wish upon no one. Life happens though, and bad luck strikes us all at one time or another. We just have to accept that and be as ready as possible when the time comes. No matter how strict you are with your pets, accidents DO happen, so take these preventative measures seriously. And to all of you dog/cat parents who think you can (pardon my French) half-ass it and be fine ... grow up! If you don't want the responsibility of a pet, don't get one. To you, they may only be around when it's convenient for you ... but to them, you're their whole world. Show them the love they deserve.