WHAT TO DO IF YOUR PET IS LOST

If your pet is missing, do not panic. Use the information below to help find your furry friend.

1. Create a lost-pet flyer to post in your neighborhood and ask around.
   • Create a flyer containing a photo of the animal and information on where the pet was last seen and how to get in touch with you. Include as many specifics in your flyer as you can, such as collar color, any tags, specific markings — anything that can help people identify the pet.
   • The pet may still be in your neighborhood. Post your flyer within a radius of your home and ask your neighbors if they have seen the pet and if they can keep an eye out.
2. Post about the pet on your social media and community apps.
   • Websites like NextDoor are neighborhood-oriented, allowing you to talk to your neighbors and post information about lost pets and where they were last seen.
   • Post your flyer on the local Craigslist in the lost-and-found section.
   • Some Facebook Groups within your community could be a great place to share. See below for a list of NWA Lost Pet Facebook groups and links
3. Use lost-and-found pet websites that send alerts to local animal welfare organizations.
   • Finding Rover and PawBoost are popular lost-pet platforms that can send alerts to your local animal hospitals, shelters and animal rescue groups, or even use facial recognition to scan found-pet alerts.
4. Visit area shelters.
   • Don't just call them. Give them a color photo of your pet with your phone number on it. Ask to see the animals in the shelter. Visit every cage. You may need to call and make an appointment. A comprehensive list and links are available at the bottom of this page.
   • Check the area animal shelter’s social media pages, they will often post lost pets.
   • Check the animal shelter’s website and Petfinder. If the mandatory stray hold has passed, your pet could be available for adoption.
5. Keep looking.
   • Remember, pets can be amazingly resilient and resourceful, so don’t stop looking.
   • When cats go missing, they are most likely hiding nearby in silence. Indoor cats tend to be afraid outdoors and will seek areas of concealment for their protection. Check under decks, porches and houses in the neighborhood, or in heavy brush areas.
   • For dogs, more often than not, people are the key to finding them. Completing the steps given above has been highly effective in finding lost dogs.

For additional tips on searching for your lost cat or dog, visit missinganimalresponse.com