Lost dogs (may this never happen to you but here’s the info just in case….)
There are some important steps to take in the unfortunate event that your dog goes missing. The first might be to alert people online via your local Facebook and/or Nextdoor group if you are, or know, a member. It can be very hard to remember to include essential information in the stress of the moment, so here’s what we’d suggest including:
A local, especially village, shop/cafe/pub can be the hub of the area so someone may find and bring your dog there, or the staff or customers might be able to help directly or through others nearby.
Then there’s the sound advice below, adapted from information provided by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home: https://www.battersea.org.uk/pet-advice/lost-and-found-dog-advice/lost-dog
LOST A DOG
If you've lost your dog, there are a number of things you should do to find your pet as quickly as possible.
1. CHECK & ATTRACT TO AREAS YOUR DOG IS FAMILIAR WITHFirstly, if you have a small dog, check anywhere within the house they could be hiding. Search areas where you would normally take your dog for a walk or, if you’ve moved recently, ask around at your old address. Ask your neighbours to check anywhere where your dog may have got trapped such as sheds or garages. If there are any building sites nearby ask them to have a look around also.
Leave a pile of your unwashed clothes at the door of your house with unrestricted access.
Take treats and your dog’s favourite toy when out on your search as familiar scents and sounds (their favourite squeaker) may alert them of your presence. Smelly cooked liver might work!
2. REPORT YOUR DOG MISSING TO YOUR MICROCHIP COMPANYInform your microchip company that your dog is lost as soon as possible, this will stop someone being able to try and change the microchip details. Equally it is an opportunity to check that your details are up to date should anyone find your dog and need to contact you. Some companies, such as Petlog, will also be able to send out alerts of your missing dog to their network.
3. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DOG WARDENYour local Council’s dog warden service will collect any stray dogs found wandering the street. Contact your local authority and surrounding areas as your dog may have wandered further than expected. The local one for Blockley is Cotswold District Council https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/environment/animals-and-wildlife/dogs-lost-and-found/ or phone 01285 623000
4. MAKE A REPORT TO YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRESMany rescue centres keep a lost and found database where your details can be saved in case a match is found.
Our Lost Dogs & Cats Line is open seven days a week from 8am until 5pm to receive reports of missing or found animals within the M25 area. The team also works with other lost and found agencies around the country to help reunite as many dogs and cats as possible.
Call our Lost Dogs & Cats Line on 020 7627 9245 or fill in our form.
5. REPORT YOUR DOG MISSING TO NEARBY VETSCheck with local veterinary surgeries as if your dog has somehow become injured. they may have been taken to a local vet for help. See below for list of local vets
6. IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR DOG HAS BEEN STOLEN, REPORT IT TO THE POLICEThey may be aware of similar activity in your area and be able to help you.
7. SPREAD THE WORDDownload our missing poster and add your pet's details - remember to put the posters inside plastic sleeves to protect them from the rain if they're outside. Put them up in local shops, vets, pubs, notice boards, the area where your pet went missing and through the doors of neighbouring streets. Register your dog on any lost and found websites and share on social media.
Drone SAR also have this important advice:
Most dogs will return from where they went missing, so some items of unwashed clothing will need to be left at the point where you last saw him. Pyjamas, bottom sheets, socks, and underwear are ideal. Please also leave some smelly food near by.
If he is used to travelling in your car, go to the nearest accessible place to where they went missing in your car, leave it running for 10 mins and then turn it off for 10 mins and repeat, leave the car door or boot open, ideally to remain there overnight. They recognise the sound of the engine and will often return to it.
If you find your dog please remember to inform everyone who is keeping an eye out for them and take down any lost posters.
Other possible actions to find a missing dog
Another important action to take is to register your dog with Dog Lost https://doglost.co.uk/ They are connected via social media with kind people around the country, who can publicise details of missing dogs. Their other free services include being able to create a poster of your missing dog which can be printed off and put on local trees etc, as well as going on social media, via email etc. They also have an additional paid for service which places ads on social media (eg Twitter) in the area where the dog went missing.
Setting up a feeding station and camera
This might work if there’s a particular area where your dog might be, and where the feeding station won’t be raided/emptied by other animals. You could ask on local Facebook etc groups if people have an outdoor camera/webcam you could borrow.
A Facebook group, which not only publicises what its name says, but also has a local person with a scanner who can check microchip details of dogs which have been found.
These services might be possible depending on their availability, your budget etc
Drone Searching
You can ask (on Facebook, Whatsapp groups etc) if someone nearby has a drone they could use to help look for your dog. There’s also an excellent national network of volunteers with drones who help with search and rescue, Drone SAR for Lost Dogs UK.
http://dronesaruk.org/home/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/134125720518945
“Drone SAR for Lost Dogs UK has a number of administrators who have a range of experiences in lost dogs, including drone pilots, ground searchers and dog trainers. When a lost dog is submitted the to the group, the admin team work with the owner to understand the circumstances in which the dog went missing. They provide initial advice, including scenting advice, emergency numbers and local contacts that need to be aware.” When someone posts on their Facebook page that their dog is missing and they need the help of the drone volunteers nearby, this is the info that’s needed:
Another network of drone owners who help find missing dogs is:
https://dronetohome.co.uk/
The incredible ability of drones to find missing dogs is shown very clearly in this BBC video
Pet Detectiveshttps://thepetdetectives.com/our_services/Missing_and_Stolen_Dogs
“Working with a professional Pet Detective significantly increases the likelihood of being reunited with your stolen dog. We have been recovering stolen pets since 1994 and are the only private detective agency in the UK specialising in the recovery of stolen dogs. If your dog is missing then the chances are that right now you don't know whether your dog is simply running loose or has been stolen. This is why you need an experienced professional pet detective to work with you.
We will be able to identify immediately whether we are dealing with the theft of your dog or a runaway, which ensures that the most effective plan for recovering your missing dog is implemented as swiftly as possible. We also have a network of contacts spanning right across the UK and work closely with many police forces, national media, local authorities and many animal welfare organisations all of which will be utilised to help recover your missing dog.”
National links and contacts - local vets, dog wardens etc should be easily findable online
ANIMAL SEARCH UK - search service and website for missing pets
01432 266 900 www.animalsearchuk.co.uk
BATTERSEA DOGS & CATS HOME MISSING PETS POSTER
http://www.bdch.org.uk/files/BDCHLostPoster.doc
BLOCKLEY NOTICEBOARD ON FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/groups/410499319353636
DOGLOST.CO.UK - national online database and excellent advice provider for lost and found dogs
0844 800 3220 www.doglost.co.uk
DRONE SEARCH & RESCUE
http://dronesaruk.org/home/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/134125720518945
NATIONAL MISSING PETS REGISTER - information, resources and assistance in making the most of the internet to reunite missing pets with their owners.
www.nationalpetregister.org
PETLOG – national lost and found database for microchipped pets
0844 4633 999 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm) www.petlog.org.uk
There are some important steps to take in the unfortunate event that your dog goes missing. The first might be to alert people online via your local Facebook and/or Nextdoor group if you are, or know, a member. It can be very hard to remember to include essential information in the stress of the moment, so here’s what we’d suggest including:
- Dog’s photo
- Dog’s name
- Dog’s breed, size, colour etc
- Colour of their collar/harness/coat
- Your contact phone number
- Where and when your dog was last seen
- Where they might have gone to – their home, their favourite walks, back to the car (especially if they are new to or just visiting the village) etc
- What food (eg sausages, liver – smelly food), smells, sounds (eg squeaky toy, whistle, their name) they respond to if people are out looking for them
- How best to approach your dog if someone finds them, to avoid scaring the dog and them running off. Or should they not try to get the dog but phone you instead?
A local, especially village, shop/cafe/pub can be the hub of the area so someone may find and bring your dog there, or the staff or customers might be able to help directly or through others nearby.
Then there’s the sound advice below, adapted from information provided by Battersea Dogs and Cats Home: https://www.battersea.org.uk/pet-advice/lost-and-found-dog-advice/lost-dog
LOST A DOG
If you've lost your dog, there are a number of things you should do to find your pet as quickly as possible.
1. CHECK & ATTRACT TO AREAS YOUR DOG IS FAMILIAR WITHFirstly, if you have a small dog, check anywhere within the house they could be hiding. Search areas where you would normally take your dog for a walk or, if you’ve moved recently, ask around at your old address. Ask your neighbours to check anywhere where your dog may have got trapped such as sheds or garages. If there are any building sites nearby ask them to have a look around also.
Leave a pile of your unwashed clothes at the door of your house with unrestricted access.
Take treats and your dog’s favourite toy when out on your search as familiar scents and sounds (their favourite squeaker) may alert them of your presence. Smelly cooked liver might work!
2. REPORT YOUR DOG MISSING TO YOUR MICROCHIP COMPANYInform your microchip company that your dog is lost as soon as possible, this will stop someone being able to try and change the microchip details. Equally it is an opportunity to check that your details are up to date should anyone find your dog and need to contact you. Some companies, such as Petlog, will also be able to send out alerts of your missing dog to their network.
3. CONTACT YOUR LOCAL DOG WARDENYour local Council’s dog warden service will collect any stray dogs found wandering the street. Contact your local authority and surrounding areas as your dog may have wandered further than expected. The local one for Blockley is Cotswold District Council https://www.cotswold.gov.uk/environment/animals-and-wildlife/dogs-lost-and-found/ or phone 01285 623000
4. MAKE A REPORT TO YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL RESCUE CENTRESMany rescue centres keep a lost and found database where your details can be saved in case a match is found.
Our Lost Dogs & Cats Line is open seven days a week from 8am until 5pm to receive reports of missing or found animals within the M25 area. The team also works with other lost and found agencies around the country to help reunite as many dogs and cats as possible.
Call our Lost Dogs & Cats Line on 020 7627 9245 or fill in our form.
5. REPORT YOUR DOG MISSING TO NEARBY VETSCheck with local veterinary surgeries as if your dog has somehow become injured. they may have been taken to a local vet for help. See below for list of local vets
6. IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR DOG HAS BEEN STOLEN, REPORT IT TO THE POLICEThey may be aware of similar activity in your area and be able to help you.
7. SPREAD THE WORDDownload our missing poster and add your pet's details - remember to put the posters inside plastic sleeves to protect them from the rain if they're outside. Put them up in local shops, vets, pubs, notice boards, the area where your pet went missing and through the doors of neighbouring streets. Register your dog on any lost and found websites and share on social media.
Drone SAR also have this important advice:
Most dogs will return from where they went missing, so some items of unwashed clothing will need to be left at the point where you last saw him. Pyjamas, bottom sheets, socks, and underwear are ideal. Please also leave some smelly food near by.
If he is used to travelling in your car, go to the nearest accessible place to where they went missing in your car, leave it running for 10 mins and then turn it off for 10 mins and repeat, leave the car door or boot open, ideally to remain there overnight. They recognise the sound of the engine and will often return to it.
If you find your dog please remember to inform everyone who is keeping an eye out for them and take down any lost posters.
Other possible actions to find a missing dog
- DOGLOST
Another important action to take is to register your dog with Dog Lost https://doglost.co.uk/ They are connected via social media with kind people around the country, who can publicise details of missing dogs. Their other free services include being able to create a poster of your missing dog which can be printed off and put on local trees etc, as well as going on social media, via email etc. They also have an additional paid for service which places ads on social media (eg Twitter) in the area where the dog went missing.
Setting up a feeding station and camera
This might work if there’s a particular area where your dog might be, and where the feeding station won’t be raided/emptied by other animals. You could ask on local Facebook etc groups if people have an outdoor camera/webcam you could borrow.
- Animals Lost and Found (eg in Gloucestershire)
A Facebook group, which not only publicises what its name says, but also has a local person with a scanner who can check microchip details of dogs which have been found.
These services might be possible depending on their availability, your budget etc
Drone Searching
You can ask (on Facebook, Whatsapp groups etc) if someone nearby has a drone they could use to help look for your dog. There’s also an excellent national network of volunteers with drones who help with search and rescue, Drone SAR for Lost Dogs UK.
http://dronesaruk.org/home/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/134125720518945
“Drone SAR for Lost Dogs UK has a number of administrators who have a range of experiences in lost dogs, including drone pilots, ground searchers and dog trainers. When a lost dog is submitted the to the group, the admin team work with the owner to understand the circumstances in which the dog went missing. They provide initial advice, including scenting advice, emergency numbers and local contacts that need to be aware.” When someone posts on their Facebook page that their dog is missing and they need the help of the drone volunteers nearby, this is the info that’s needed:
- Confirmation that you’re the owner of the dog or will be the main point of contact for search assistance for their volunteer pilots and searchers.
- the full postcode location of the area missing and ideally what3words reference
- As much detail as possible about how your dog went missing eg from the place you’re staying/on a walk /from the car
- Confirmation that the microchip company been notified the dog is missing and checked the chip has been registered and checked your contact details are up to date
- Register on www.doglost.co.uk
- Notify your local dog warden and local vets that your dog is missing, ideally with a photo of your dog.
Another network of drone owners who help find missing dogs is:
https://dronetohome.co.uk/
The incredible ability of drones to find missing dogs is shown very clearly in this BBC video
Pet Detectiveshttps://thepetdetectives.com/our_services/Missing_and_Stolen_Dogs
“Working with a professional Pet Detective significantly increases the likelihood of being reunited with your stolen dog. We have been recovering stolen pets since 1994 and are the only private detective agency in the UK specialising in the recovery of stolen dogs. If your dog is missing then the chances are that right now you don't know whether your dog is simply running loose or has been stolen. This is why you need an experienced professional pet detective to work with you.
We will be able to identify immediately whether we are dealing with the theft of your dog or a runaway, which ensures that the most effective plan for recovering your missing dog is implemented as swiftly as possible. We also have a network of contacts spanning right across the UK and work closely with many police forces, national media, local authorities and many animal welfare organisations all of which will be utilised to help recover your missing dog.”
National links and contacts - local vets, dog wardens etc should be easily findable online
ANIMAL SEARCH UK - search service and website for missing pets
01432 266 900 www.animalsearchuk.co.uk
BATTERSEA DOGS & CATS HOME MISSING PETS POSTER
http://www.bdch.org.uk/files/BDCHLostPoster.doc
BLOCKLEY NOTICEBOARD ON FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/groups/410499319353636
DOGLOST.CO.UK - national online database and excellent advice provider for lost and found dogs
0844 800 3220 www.doglost.co.uk
DRONE SEARCH & RESCUE
http://dronesaruk.org/home/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/134125720518945
NATIONAL MISSING PETS REGISTER - information, resources and assistance in making the most of the internet to reunite missing pets with their owners.
www.nationalpetregister.org
PETLOG – national lost and found database for microchipped pets
0844 4633 999 (Monday to Friday, 9am – 5pm) www.petlog.org.uk
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