Are You Prepared for a Lost Dog? It can and does happen to responsible, caring pet owners.
4th July weekend is coming up. Don't wait for the weekend or a lost pet scare to kick start you getting important information together just in case!
In March I had a scare, I thought my dog had wandered off when Rick turned his back for a few seconds while out on our property with her. I was panicked and scared.
(she was found on our 24 acres, multi building property, crashed in her crate under a desk in the school room 1.5 hours later!).
Anyway, it made me think about all the things I could and should have prepared on hand in preparation for this scary and unthinkable scenario.
Believe me, when you think you have lost your dog, all rationale thought, and reason goes flying out of your head.
So here is what I did immediately, well after I smothered her with hugs and cuddles for a few minutes, ok hours!
1. Always have on hand the telephone numbers and email addresses for your local veterinarian, animal shelters and animal control facility. If you do lose your pet, you will want to get in touch with them immediately and not waste time looking for contact numbers.
2. Have a LOST Pet poster on hand that is already set up with a recent photograph, your name and contact details. This way you can just date it and begin to distribute it as needed.
3. Have a paragraph of text and a photograph ready to go on social media. Send a copy to a friend who can help cross post it while you do other things at home. Even this minor task can be overwhelming when you are panicked. All I could do is phone a friend, ask for help and cry!
4. Have a collar on your pet with an embroidered name and telephone number. If a helpful neighbor or good Samaritan finds your dog, then help them to help you. They can contact you immediately reducing the time your pet is away from your care.
Example - Last weekend a stray dog found their way onto our property. I had to house them and care for them for 48 hours as the dog had a collar but no ID. Over the weekend or holiday weekend it may be hard to contact the shelter or an authorized person who can help ID your pet through a chip. A collar with telephone number or ID tag could have ensured the pet got home sooner rather than later.
Keep your pets safe and in the event they get lost, prepare to get them back quickly!