Friday, July 24, 2015

The Dog's Missing

There are three little words that all pet parents dread; “The dog’s missing!” Yet each day those words are repeated in homes across the country. Like all disasters, you need to be prepared in the event it happens.
How to safeguard your pet
·        Never let your dog run loose or unsupervised.
·        Keep a collar on your pet. How many times have you heard, “He isn’t wearing a collar, may we keep him?”
Purple monogrammed collar by PrideBites
Add your dog's name AND your phone number on their collar.


·        It’s a great idea to put your phone number on the actual collar in the event the tags get lost. You can use a marker or sew the number in a strong thread.
·        Tags are still very important. Make sure there is a dog tag with current information on every collar.
·        An address is great, but two phone numbers including area code is better. Make sure the information is legible.
·        Keep current photos of your dog.
Basset nose in fence
Escape attempt 2% complete.

·        Inspect your fence to make certain there are no holes or gaps the dog could squeeze through.
·        Make sure that your doors are securely closed.
·        Microchip your pet!

My dog is missing! What should I do now?

·        Check your house thoroughly. Did anyone accidentally close the pup in a closet or bathroom? Be sure to keep your voice calm. If you sound upset or angry, the dog might continue to hide.
Laundry room Basset
"I wasn't lost, I was in my office."

·        Immediately canvas the area around your home. Check favorite hiding places.
·        Once you are certain the dog is not in the house or yard, expand your search area. It is best to leave someone at home in the event your dog returns on its own.
·        Before you run screaming down the street, think about where you pet might have gone and why. Is there a female dog in heat nearby? Did a loud noise or fireworks scare them? Could they have run after a family member that left the house? Are there children playing nearby? Do you take the same routes when you go for a walk? Do you have a people-friendly dog that might have approached a neighbor? Answering these questions could help you decide where to begin your search.
·        Ask everyone that you see, including delivery drivers or postal workers. This is why having a photo of your dog is so important.
·        Post photos and area online to Facebook, Twitter, your local shelter’s social media, and anywhere else that might draw attention to your lost pup.
Pose-A-Pet Sample poster
"I designed this with my free Pose-A-Pet app. Read our review here.

·         Make fliers with your dog’s name, photo and vital information. Be sure to include your contact information. *There will probably be bogus reports but if one is a successful lead, it is worth it.
·        Call and visit local shelters every day.
·        Contact local vets and see if anyone has brought your dog to them.
·        Begin searching Craig’s List and other internet sales sites.
·        Never stop searching and hoping. Dogs have been returned eight years after disappearing.
*July is Pet Safety and Lost Pet Prevention month. Please do a quick check around your house to ensure your home and yard is pet-friendly.



Bravo Product Recall
From the Bravo news alert: Bravo Pet Foods of Manchester, CT is recalling select lots of Bravo Chicken pet foods for dogs and cats due to concerns of the possible presence of Salmonella. The recall was initiated after routine testing by the New York State Department of Agriculture revealed the presence of Salmonella contamination.”  Click here for more information: http://bravopetfoods.com/consumerrecall.html

Today is the Pet Parade Blog Hop!  Join the fun with Rascal and RoccoBionic Basil’s BlogJan’s Funny FarmLove is being owned by a Husky, and me to celebrate.  Grab our badge and hop along! 







27 comments :

  1. Omgosh, if one of our pets went missing I would lose my mind! We are SOOO careful with them.
    Our pugs are precious to our lives!

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  2. The thought of losing one of mine is just soul destroying. I am always ensuring I know that they're inside and safe.

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  3. If I is missing it usually means I'm up to mischiefs somewhere...or so the peeps say, I haf no idea what they mean!!!!
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  4. Great tips! Thanks Melissa! Chloe and LadyBug are usually within a couple feet of me...they just follow me around...which is a very good thing! When we first got LadyBug, they told me she was a runner, but she quickly learned from Chloe and now stays even closer to me than Chloe does!

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  5. It is one thing I worry about as y boys don't wear collars (They cause the fur on their necks to matt) their tags are on their harneses but they only wear those when they are out - they are of coarse both microchipped but that only helps if they are found by a place that can scan them. I do wish someone would make a collar that actually works well with long haired breed - even their rolled collars caused matts - sigh

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  6. I agree with you,that's the nightmare for all dog pawrents... thanks for great tips it's good to have such a to do list we can use when we are too nervous or too confused because of our missed friend...
    easy rider

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  7. GREAT tips! And I love the pic of Bentley at the fence-- SO stinking cute!

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  8. We don't ever want to be lost. We've had lost kitties and that is bad enough, but Mom can't bear to think of us pups getting lost.

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  9. What wonderful information!!! Having names/numbers on the actual collar is a great idea and I am going to remedy that in our household today!

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  10. That has to be one of the scariest things that could happen to lose a family member like that. Back in the '90s we had a little Doxie named Tiffany. We thought we lost her but after about 12 hours we found her sleeping in an opening in back of the recliner chair.

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  11. I can't believe how many pets have gone missing in our area. These are great tips! Btw, Bentley you have the cutest nose, squished or not! BOL!

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  12. So sad to hear when a pet goes missing. My heart just breaks.

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  13. Great tips! I hate hearing when pets are missing. I know some are totally accidents but those who just let their their babies roam free are asking for trouble imo. So sad.....

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  14. Excellent tips, MK! I love the collar w/ Bentley's name on it and the Pose A Pet flyer you made up. Making the flyer and photo as large and colorful as you can is so important when you have to place them at street corners, Vet offices, grocery stores, etc. Sharing.
    Love & Biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv them

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  15. Happy Pet Parade! All great tips. I love that photo of Bentley's nose in the fence! You should frame it! ~RascalandRocco

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  16. Mom would stop breathing if that happened! We love that photo of Bentley and the fence.

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  17. I once had a Cocker Spaniel that got spooked by thunder and somehow had run outside when one of the kids came into the house. We looked for hours and we finally found him hiding under a crawl space in the backyard. What a nightmare that was!

    Wishing you a great Friday!

    Enzie from Portraits-by-Nc.com

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  18. Great tips!!! And (LOL) My guest post today over at 4knines.com was about lost pet prevention as well!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  19. Great advice - hope I never have to use it.

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  20. Wonderful information! Mom and Dad are very careful with us, but sometimes things happen
    hugs
    Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel

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  21. "Keep current photos of your dog."

    I have almost reached my memory limit on my phone from having so many photos of Bain on there. Lol!

    It's so unfortunate to see so many dogs off leash freely and sometimes without their collar. Normally, their owner is around, it still drives me bonkers.

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  22. These are good tips. And would apply to cats too.

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  23. We were in the garden the other day and Sam wondered off. Scared the Be-Jesus out of me till I found him sauntering down the alley on a scent trail. Thankfully he always has his collar on with ID but my heart did skip a few beats! Great advice. Thanks for the excellent reminder.

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  24. This is great and very important advice. I can't imagine what a nightmare it must be if your dog goes missing. We do everything we can to keep them close and safe, and hope we never have to find out.
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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  25. I had a German Shepherd puppy go missing when she was about 7 months old once. It was late Friday, so I had to wait until Monday before I could reach the shelters and vets to see if anyone had found her. I lived in the woods, so she could have been everywhere. I searched all weekend. I was so upset. Then, Monday morning, I finally found out that someone had picked her up. They had driven down our 2-track and saw her. Thinking that no one in their right mind would live where we were living deep in the woods, they figured she was lost and took her home. What a relief it was to get her back. I can't imagine what it must be like to lose a child. Great article. Wonderful app. Thanks for sharing your good advice.

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  26. great reminder post! I love the nose in the fence photo.

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  27. I love the Pose A Pet flyer and the nose through the fence photo! So cute!

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