|
|
Written by Debbie Hall
First,
get a street map of the town where the dog was lost. The map should
include all border towns. (Office supply or drugstore) Mark the streets where you posted flyers or
went “door to door” with a highlighter pen. It is very important to keep a record
of every call from the beginning & keep it until the search is over. You will actually be “tracking” the dog’s
movements. Get as much information as possible from
every call and write everything down – no exceptions. You need the date, time, street and nearest
cross street, or with luck, exact location that the dog was seen. Be forgiving of callers with their
descriptions. It is not easy to see
details while driving or on a dog that’s running. At night, it’s even harder to see &
colors get distorted. They can see the
dog but not the collar, however, they may hear license tags clinking. Gently
question them and ask them to tell you what they saw without putting words in
their mouth. It’s hard to accurately
guess a dog’s weight but they can estimate the body size in relation to another
breed they are familiar with. Key on
easily seen markings that the dog may have.
Many calls are vague and left on answering machines. Be advised that two people can see the same
dog and give two entirely different descriptions. One may see the leash attached that the other
doesn’t. Never dismiss a sighting because the caller’s description isn’t
a perfect match. Talk with the residents
who live in the area as soon as possible after receiving a call. They are usually familiar with the
neighborhood dogs and their information may help you dismiss a call or mark it
on the map as a valid sighting. It
may well be a local dog that looks like yours and is allowed to run loose. A “stray” could also be in the area and be
mistaken for yours. If you think it’s a
stray, call the local ACO. It could be a
lost dog belonging to someone else.
Dogs
can go great distances in a short amount of time. They take shortcuts (that you can’t) to get to
other streets. It seems there might be a
pattern if a dog is not familiar with the area from where they bolted. Many seem to stay in a 3-mile radius from the
exact spot where they bolted. They may
travel a great deal within this “circle” and even return several times to pass
the spot where they bolted. This is a
general observation, not a rule. Some
dogs have made a smaller circle while others go just beyond. A few run straight down a road for a mile or
two, stop and then establish a “home range.”
Never
be discouraged by lack of calls. Think! Flyers could be in the wrong areas, not
enough distributed or you didn’t personally talk to enough people yet. You get a lot of good information when you
get out and talk to people. They also
remember you and are more apt to make the call once you have made it a
“personal” thing. It is time-consuming work. It is emotionally & physically
draining. Do not rely solely on an Animal
Control Officer. They
are usually very busy and cannot devote all their time to your lost dog. The
best advice: Be focused, be organized and be strong until you find your
dog. They are dependent on you to be
smarter than they are. If your dog
is a repeat visitor in an area, do not hesitate. Talk with Animal Control or an
Animal Rescue League & see if they can set up a humane cage trap in an
appropriate place. If not, try to find a
person who will let you leave a “scent” item as well as food and water in their
yard.
You should visit the area frequently & try to spot your dog. If seen, be calm, kneel/lay down, talk in
soft & reassuring tones. Lure it to
you with bits of food and be very patient.
Lostdogsearch@aol.com
7/ 2002