Aunt Mary's Doghouse

It's A Dog's Life - Ask Milo

By Mary Cody

What To Do If Your Pet Is Lost Or Stolen

In the event your dog was lost or stolen do you have an action plan to recover your family member?

Loss and theft can and does happen in the blink of an eye. Yes, even here in Montclair. The door or gate is open a fraction too far or too long and the dog seizes the opportunity to bolt.

An Upper Montclair neighbor recently told us the tail of a lost dog. While out responsibly walking her own dog on a leash, two joggers approached accompanied by a leash-less chocolate Labrador Retriever. My neighbor smiled at the joggers and announced that her dog was friendly - was theirs? Without pausing the joggers replied over their retreating shoulders that the Lab wasn't their dog. The dog had been following them since they started their jog in West Orange! (Ironic that people so intent on the health of their heart couldn't find the heart to help this pooch).

This story does have a happy ending for two reasons. The dog was wearing a collar with a readable pet identification tag and he had the good fortune to cross paths with a compassionate woman who brought him inside and called the phone number on the tag.

So, what would you do in the event your dog is either lost or stolen? Read on for preventive measures and action plan tips.

Some preventive measures would be to:

Obedience train your dog and demonstrate the boundaries of the property by walking your pet within the limits of the yard. Also familiarize your pet with the immediate neighborhood so he can find his way back home.

License your dog and keep his rabies vaccination current. Both procedures provide metal tags to be worn by the dog (not buried in a drawer). The tags bear numbers that can be traced back to you through the town and the vet.

Make sure your pet wears a readable pet ID tag with at least the dog's name and a current phone number. A medical tag is also a good idea if the dog has some special condition that requires medication.

Spay/neuter your pet so it's less likely to wander or attract wandering dogs.

Consult your vet about a microchip or tattoo for your dog as added insurance if you have to positively identify your pet. Keep in mind you can't be sure your dog's collar will stay on his body or be the same collar he was wearing when he left home.

Always have some recent photos of your pet for circulation. Scan one into the computer so it can be dispatched online.

If your yard is fenced check periodically for escape routes. We found a tunnel under our fence dug from the outside by an animal trying to get in.

Don't ever leave the dog in the car with the doors unlocked or the engine running. Both a car and dog were stolen in Upper Montclair within minutes of a woman rushing up to her friend's door to drop something off.

Here are some ideas on how to take immediate action if your pet is lost/stolen.

Make sure the dog really isnt in the yard, house or garage.

Report the loss to the police. The Montclair Police assured me they dispatch the call to the patrol. In Montclair contact PAWS as this is the headquarters for Animal Control.

Put that recent photo on a flier with your phone number. For best results OFFER A REWARD! Hand out and post fliers everywhere you can think of in the surrounding community. In short make that flier work for you!

Knock on your neighbors door and round up some willing volunteers to conduct a search.

Physically go to ALL the local shelters and agencies responsible for picking up stray and lost animals within at least a 20-mile radius. Remember that someone may pick up your dog and take it home some distance away, only to turn it in to a shelter in their area. You will need to go more than once and FAST because some facilities only hold dogs 72 hours or less! Just calling without going in person is NOT very effective. The way you describe your dog may not be the way a shelter would describe it. Also, your pet may get dirty or matted very quickly, altering his appearance.

Contact local rescue organizations or if you have a purebred dog check with that specific breed rescue. If a person that is helping your dog fears the dog will be euthanized at a shelter they might ask for help from a rescue group. (Orphaned Pets Inc., gets calls like this often).

A grim idea is to check with the highway department (county, state and town). This should also be done in person. Be sure to leave a photo flier in each place.

Place an ad in the local newspaper and the papers in surrounding areas as well.

Get out looking early in the morning. Most lost animals lay low at night and pick up speed in the morning when the community comes to life.

Go directly to www.petfinder.org and post your lost pet. Also check the found message board. I guarantee you will have the entire State of New Jersey looking for your dog! An added benefit, you will get emotional support and helpful advice. Other Internet sites to check are: www.sherlockbones.com or www.missingpet.net

If you see a dog in trouble, be kind. Get involved and lend a helping hand even if you aren't an animal lover. This dog may mean the world to your neighbor. Basically follow the same steps as the person searching for their pooch. Get the word out that you have found a dog. If possible keep the pet secure, safe and off the street. If it has tags call the number. If the pet is not wearing a collar don't automatically assume it has been dumped, has no owner or an owner that doesn't care about it - get the facts first.

If you must take the animal to a shelter, be sure to ask their policy on euthanasia and the total number of days they keep a dog. You can ask to be contacted if the dog is nearing its time up stay at the shelter so you can make other arrangements to protect the animal.

So there you have it. One last important thing to do when your pet is recovered. Thank everyone in the community via the newspaper and take your posters down.

All for now. It's time to take Milo for a walk through his town, Montclair. And if we find any lost pets - maybe yours - we guarantee it will be safe with us. Any questions you can E-mail us - askmilo2000@yahoo.com

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