Losing a dog can be a traumatic experience, but finding them doesn’t have to be.

It’s 4:30 in the morning and thoughts like “What if I never find him? What if someone takes him away from me forever, he might be starving, or worst of all, what if he gets into accidents?” keeps flooding in your sleep-deprived head. Your dog’s empty bed is a painful reminder that it has been more than 24 hours since your dog has been missing. 

You have searched far and wide, called out his name a million times. You are thinking that if you don't find him soon, you will never get to see him again.

Even according to the ASPCA, the odds of finding a stray dog are about 93% within the first 24 hours. These chances drop to about 60% after that. This is based on nation-wide research including tens of thousands of lost dogs, over the course of multiple years. These facts can be disturbing, especially if 24 hours have already passed. But you can greatly increase those odds if follow these steps to find your lost dog:

 

DO NOT Panic!, I repeat; DO NOT Panic! 

Nobody expects their dog to get loose but unfortunately, it happens. It can be very stressful but you can’t take all the appropriate measures and make sure your dog’s safety if you’re in panic mode. Hence, stay calm and positive. This allows a person to think and act right. 

Don't just take our word for it.

Scientists have long tested and proved that people when in panic often seem paralyzed when it comes to decision-making. So, take a long breath and stay calm.

 

Spread the word 

Don’t do it alone- Get Help. The more people looking for your dog, the more probability it is he will be found and back to you. 

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram can come handy as it is the place where maximum people hang out. There are various groups created dedicated to lost dog lookout. You can simply post recent pictures of your dog along with your contact details in these groups and there are thousands of people in the group that will help share it and reach out to right places. 

Few of the named pages in Nepal include FB/ Lost and Found Dogs Nepal, FB/ Dog Lost.

 

Use Flyers and Posters

One of the most likely places to find your dog can be around your neighbourhood, park, and places which are familiar to your dog. You can spread the word by placing posters including his name, recent photo(s), your contact details, and a physical description of him, including any distinctive markings. 

Ask your friends or family to go door to door and share the information as much as possible. This enables anyone who finds the dog to reach out to you soon.

 

Contact the Local Shelters and Local Vets

You must call every local shelter, animal care organization, veterinary clinics, and dog rescues around your areas/town/city to let them know your dog is missing. You can use the flyers and posters that entails the dog information. Ask them to call you immediately if they get any clue or if your dog has been placed in those shelters or brought to those veterinaries. Since they are working with pets and have a strong network. Having knowledge and experience in regards to these situations, they can be very handy to bring your dog home soon.

Shree’s Animal Rescue Nepal, Sneha’s Care, Animal Nepal Main Office are a few examples.

 

Track of Sightings

A dog has a certain pattern that it follows and within some days, it will mostly establish himself in a particular area and will start to set up a pattern of eating, sleeping, and hiding. This is where spreading the word is so essential. If you can determine the general area where your dog is hiding and the times he prefers to come out, you may be able to catch him. 

Even if you find him, do not try to chase your dog if you spot him. Lost dogs can become vulnerable and scared that they don’t recognize their owners at first, and the last thing you want to do is scare him away. Instead, wait for his appearance and if you see him, try to lure him to come to you by tossing his favourite treats.[2] 

 

Patience is the key

Often, domestic dogs are much more difficult to find than we expect. You can find many stories of dogs that have been gone missing for months or years that eventually returned to their owners. It is important to keep the communication flowing with your friends, family, local shelters or organization and even social media. Do not forget to keep reminding everyone that your dog is missing as staying vigilant can be the key to getting your dog home safely.

In this whole process, do not forget to take care of yourself as it's easy to lose sleep, worry, skip meals and be stressed all the time when a pet is missing. To the best of your ability, try to practice self-care while you look for your dog.