There have been more posts on Facebook on missing dogs and cats, and dogs found with collars on the streets.
Here are some tips from animal welfare group Save Animals of Love and Light (Save ALL Inc.) on what to do when your pet gets lost:
1. Look at your CCTV monitor. You might find a clue as to what happened to your dog. If you know which direction to go, you might be able to catch up with your dog. If your dog was stolen, and you can no longer keep up with the culprit, you can go directly to the police to report the incident. They can help you find your dog.
2. Go around the neighborhood immediately and ask your neighbors, the guards and the tricycle drivers if they have seen your dog by showing a photo of your dog from your phone’s camera.
3. Look for CCTV cameras in the neighborhood and ask your neighbors to check if your dog was captured on camera, if someone has taken the dog or assisted the dog, and the direction where the dog went at the time indicated in the camera. This will give you an idea on how far your dog may have gone and where to look further.
4. Go to the barangay if they have a pound. Find out if your dog was captured. And report your dog or dog to be missing. Leave your contact number. They may get information on your pet’s whereabouts later.
5. Go to the city or municipal pound. Your dog may have been transferred by the barangay pound there.
6. Make a missing dog or cat poster. Indicate the following:
-photo of the dog or cat
-a reward
-name of contact person
– contact number of the contact person
7. Make sure the reward in peso will be noticed by persons who may pass by the missing pet poster.
The reward should be close to the value of the dog if the dog has a breed. Unfortunately, some people do sell dogs and cats with breed to backyard breeders.
8. Never put the name of the dog or cat in the poster. If your dog or cat is avoiding humans to protect himself or herself, the pet will be confused if a stranger will call him or her by his/her name.
9. Post as many posters you can on electrical poles, trees (use tape only and not a stapler) and sari-sari stores.
10. Never lose hope. Go to all areas where your dog or cat was reported to have been seen or spotted.
When Richie, a rescued dog left an adopter’s house, we went to the spots where he was reported to have been seen but with caution. Be careful who you will trust.
Make sure you are accompanied by two or three members of the family who are strong and alert to avoid any untoward incident.
Stake out a reported site. If the place is dark or you feel unsafe, follow your instinct. Be careful and keep to a safe distance until you spot the dog or cat.
11. Ask permission to post in bulletin boards of
clinics and pet shops, and post in different pages of animal welfare groups and dog or cat lovers groups on Facebook and other social media platforms.
To avoid losing your pet:
1. Always accompany your dog when going out of the house. Put a collar or harness and keep him or her on a leash.
2. Always keep the gate or main door closed. Make sure there is no opening or “hole” in the fence that is big enough for a dog or a cat to get through.
3. Put your dog in a collapsible cage or carrier when you are opening the gate to bring your car out.
4. Keep your dog indoor when you have to open the gate to bring the car out or you plan to have a get-together in the garage.
5. Never allow your dog to go out of the house to poop and urinate. You should accompany your dog. Again, put on a harness and leash on your dog.
6. For small dogs, keep a litter box inside the house for a dog to urinate and poop in.
In photos are pets who have been reported as missing. If you have seen any of the pets, please contact the owner immediately.