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