What To Do When Your Pet Goes Missing Dorothea Hasselmann, MHS Shelter Tech
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as Fluffy or Fido suddenly gone missing? You’re worried and don’t know what to do next. But, as hard as it might be when your family pet runs off, it’s important to try to remain calm. Last year, Monadnock Humane Society had a reunification rate of approximately 78% for our stray canine friends and almost 11% for our stray feline friends. These are positive statistics, but how can we increase these rates? Here are some guidelines using a recent cat recovery story with many important lessons and a very happy ending. Where do you begin? Start your search by contacting neighbors, ask them to be on the lookout, and notify you immediately if they see your pet. Then, contact your local animal control officer, your local veterinary hospitals, and animal shelters as well. If your pet is lost somewhere within Cheshire county, call Monadnock Humane Society and submit a lost pet report. Granite State Dog Recovery is another wonderful resource for your missing pooch, and of course, if your animal is microchipped, contact the microchip company. Additionally, social media outlets such as Facebook can also play a big role because lost pet posts can be easily shared throughout the community and beyond. After completing the items on this list, post the information regarding your lost pet on local “lost and found” websites. Tenthousandeyes.org is one of these tools and can also be of great assistance. It allows you to post a picture of your pet and other detailed information (type of pet, name, color, weight, location lost, etc.) where it can be easily viewed by all visitors to the website. It’s important to know that many animals will remain close to where they’ve gone missing. Cats will usually stay within a 200-yard radius of their home during the first 48-72 hours of getting lost.
Most house cats, who have never been outside, will often be scared and confused. They’ll try to find a quiet location, such as under a shed or deck, to crawl into or huddle under. Along with checking small spaces, check nearby trees as the feline may have climbed up to find safety. It is also a best practice to leave their litter box outside as well as some of their favorite food (but make sure that a wild animal cannot get to it!) If you have access to a trail cam, you can set it up in the area. This will allow you to see your pet if they visit for food or use of the litter box...even at night. If you notice that your pet is returning to the same spot, at the same time every night, you could set up a “Have-a-Heart” trap to safely lure it inside and secure him/ her until you can get there and recover them. Here is the story of Django, an indoor/outdoor cat, who has lived with his family for 17 years but still ran off. He knew his territory well and would usually stay close to home. But, when a family member came to visit with their active dog, they noticed that Django was not around like he usually was. They assumed he was staying clear of the home because of the dog, but after he was missing for a few days, they began to worry. The owners checked with their neighbors about any sightings and they also went looking in the woods where Django would sometimes roam. They checked MHS’s website but didn’t see him listed there. After three weeks, they began to give up hope and thought that because of his age, he had wandered away to find a quiet spot to pass away. Little did they know, a Good Samaritan spotted Django, picked him up, and brought him to MHS. When he was not reclaimed quickly, the MHS veterinary staff gave him a medical exam and treated him for a fatty lump on his chin. After his mass was surgically removed and he had healed, he was put up for adoption. Once again, the family was browsing the MHS adoption page for a new cat and that’s when they saw him…Django, their missing cat!!! They came to MHS that same day and reclaimed him, happy to know he was still alive, and happy to see his lump had been removed! The lesson here is to never give up your search or assume that your pet has wandered away to die or even something worse-- like being attacked by a wild animal. Most of the stray cats that come into MHS are never reclaimed by their owners. Remember to always Continued Next Page
Check out our online database for missing pets: www.tenthousandeyes.org Fall 2021
www.4LegsAndATail.com 5
