Search your house, property and surrounding neighborhood
thoroughly with a flashlight and especially checking
locked closets, crawl spaces, cars, garages, sheds,
basements, drain pipes ect...Your pet may be trapped
inside or caught by their collar.
Call delivery people such as FedEx, UPS, the mail
carrier and anyone who works outside such as landscapers
and pool cleaners.
Don't hesitate to ask for help from family, friends,
neighbors, etc.
Distribute pictures of your animal and with a detailed
description.
Remember, children on bikes can cover a large area.
Cell phones will help to communicate with others
in search.
Try different times of day or night. Cats are more
active early morning and at night. Dogs may be active
anytime and may tend to run farther. Dogs may burrow
into self made dens and cats may climb trees.
Do not chase and never yell at the animal! Establish
contact by calling and whistling. Never call your
pet across a busy road. Stay calm. Attempt to stop
or slow traffic keeping your own safety in mind.
Carry a flashlight and leash and collar with you.
Extend the search and continue to distribute posters
to surrounding areas in an ever-widening circle. Drive
through neighborhoods while calmly calling.
Bring canned pet food warmed in microwave to entice
pet. The warming intensifies the aroma.
Place Hav-a-Hart traps in areas where your pet may
have been spotted or regularly visits. Dcykman's
Animal Control may be able to assist you in the
trapping of your pet. Call them for information at
1-800-696-7803. They serve Westchester, Putnam,
Dutchess, Orange, Rockland and New York City and charge
a fee.
2
Search far and wide
Although many times pets-especially displaced cats-are
very close by in the neighborhood (read lost
cat behavior), do not underestimate how far an animal
can travel in a short period of time. Your pet's appearance
may change through weight loss or matted and dirty coat.
Also, someone else's interpretation of your description
may vary greatly. Collars can be broken off and your
pet may no longer be wearing tags. Everyone who knows
the animal should help visit animal shelters in person,
repeatedly.
3
Post Flyers
Prepare flyers (excellent
poster tips) with a photo, a detailed description
and when and where animal was lost. After getting permission,
post them at vet's offices, animal hospitals, feed stores,
kennels, groomers, pet shops, community bulletin boards,
shopping centers, places of worship, schools, grocery
stores, gas stations, post offices, laundromats, and
tree & telephone poles in highly trafficked areas.
Distributing posters is one of the most effective things
you can do to locate your lost pet. Distribute your
posters freely.
Animal Welfare League's County Locating Service
at 914-949-9191 (for lost pets in Westchester)
Highway Dept. of town where lost in the event your
pet was hit by a car
Contact them immediately as some facilities euthanize
within 5 days.
5
Place Ads and Search Listings
Place ads on/in the web sites and publications below
and search their lost and found listings at least once
a week.
Animal-Link.org
Lost and Found (free)
*Listing lost/found pets is limited to Westchester
and Putnam residents. However, if you reside outside
the area and believe your pet is lost in Westchester
or Putnam County and would like to place a lost ad,
please contact us at support@animal-link.org.
Hudson
Valley Lost and Found Pets (free)
*Post if you have reason to believe your pet may be
lost in Dutchess or Ulster County or near the Putnam/Dutchess
border.
