How to find a lost dog? Yesterday I wrote about just some of the reasons
dogs run away — fear, boredom, sex…and some run away just ‘cause they can!
So what do you do if your Morkie’s run away?
Number one: stay calm but act quickly
- call animal control – it’s amazing how many times your dog is waiting patiently for you at the pound or local shelter while you’re having a heart attack. If they’re closed definitely leave your name and number.
- if it’s night time, take a flashlight (to reflect back off your dog’s eyes) and start searching the neighborhood. Day or night, take his favorite squeaky toy.
- don’t forget to leave someone at home to mind the phone
- knock on your neighbors’ doors – if they’re nice they’ll even help you search
- Morkie still lost? Time for a poster and big reward.
- Don’t forget to check the papers and local notices for “found dogs”
Don’t give up! Dogs have been returned home after months, even years!
About.com has an awesome lost dog checklist here
Of course, if your Morkie gets lost without a collar and proper i.d. it could be much harder to get him back.
- Always always tag your dog with her name and your phone number. That’s all you need.
- If your Morkie is micro-chipped, that info could be read eventually, if she ends up at the pound or in a Vet’s office. So don’t count on JUST the microchip.
A helpful website for lost dogs
A Facebook page called find your lost dog can get the word out about your lost pup to as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. You might want to check out this service and keep the info handy if you’re a U.S. citizen.
Choose a package – either free or paid – and they go to work, complete with “amber alerts,” posters and contacting local shelters and pounds.
As this site points out, sadly, at some point if you haven’t got your Morkie back, you need to call your local road crew or Department of Transport to see if your dog was hit, and picked up from the roadside.