When animals go missing.

My introduction into the world of lost pets was a crash course in what not to do when my own very fearful foster dog went missing after living with me for only three days. I quickly learned there is a science to finding lost animals and that by following certain protocols the chances of recovery are quite good. Other important things I learned was that when faced with the daunting task of finding a missing pet most people make these mistakes: waiting too long to get started, and making signs that are too small and too hard to read from a moving vehicle.

By now you have probably seen those large neon signs with the word LOST in a big black font, and someone’s phone number in an equally large black font, and then the missing animal’s photo. And you’ve likely seen them at major intersections and lining a street. You’ve seen them and remember them because they work. The larger the sign and the brighter the neon the better!

So, what should you do when your pet goes missing? First and foremost, don’t wait for them to come home on their own, or post on social media and hope someone sees them - take action immediately! Enlist your friends and family and follow these proven steps to find your pet right away.

Before we get into the nitty gritty there are a few critical pieces of information you need to know about the role of the signs, how to make them, and where to place them.

PURPOSE

  1. The purpose of the sign is to get someone’s attention fast, usually while they’re driving. You have just a few seconds to convey the information you want them to retain. Keep it simple!

  2. We want them to see a LOT of these signs. We want them to have your pet on their mind at all times so they are actively looking for them.

  3. When making your signs, the less information the better. Cross-streets don’t matter, dates don’t matter, and collar color doesn’t matter. The only things that matter is that your dog or cat is lost, what they look like, any identifying information (size, coloring) specific to them, and your phone number.

HOW TO

Depending on which style of poster or sign you go with - and I usually recommend a combination of both - you may need different materials which I’ll go over in a minute.

But the key thing in creating the signs is that the less is more mantra is better in the case of a missing pet. As I mentioned before, you only have a few seconds (if that) to capture someone’s attention as they’re driving down the road so make your signs big and bright, your text bold, and keep your information brief!

WHERE TO

You want your signs to be visible near where your pet went missing or the last place they were seen. If that’s your house, put signs up and down your street, nearby streets, and at the intersections closest to your home. It’s been my experience that most (not all) animals stay within a mile or two from where they went missing so you don’t need to go too far out initially. But litter your area with signs. You can’t have too many signs. You want your neighborhood and entire town to know that your dog or cat is missing and for them to be actively keeping an eye out for your kiddo. Depending on the type - yard signs vs posters - put them on stop signs, utility poles (if legal in your municipality), at intersection lights (all four lights!), speed limit signs, school signs, etc. Ask your local grocery store, library, barista, etc., if you can tape one to the front door or drive thru window.

If possible take someone with you. Have one person drive while the passenger jumps out to affix the signs. Consider how high up and at what angle your signs should be from the perspective of a passing car or vehicle at a stop light. You’ll get the gist of it after a few times but have your driver give you feedback for a while.

Note: some municipalities don’t allow people to post public signs on poles but if it were me - and it has been - I would risk a fine to find my dog any day of the week.

SUPPLIES

Large neon poster board
Jumbo thick permanent marker
Printed photo of your dog showing your pet’s face and body
Sheet protectors or laminator with laminating sheets - if using sheet protectors place the opening face down on the poster board
Staple gun and staples
Tape gun and tape

H-FRAMES / YARD SIGNS

Depending on your climate, municipal codes or wind, yard signs may be the way to go. You can find them at Lowe’s and Amazon, and your local Facebook Lost & Found dog groups may even have some you can borrow. You can also make these signs with poster board and a foam core or cardboard backing or buy the yellow corrugated plastic board on Amazon.

Essentially, you want to follow the same guidelines as the posters. Minimal information: LOST DOG, phone number, photo of their entire body, DO NOT CHASE, and if there is any pertinent information (ie: weight that wouldn’t be expected, missing a limb, etc.).

FLYERS & QUARTER SHEETS

Use color here. Use a bold upper case font in red at the top of your page with the words LOST. Make small versions of your posters to hand out to delivery drivers (UPS, Amazon, USPS, Uber Eats), your local trash collector, the town barista, local restaurants. Four to a standard 8.5” x 11” page is a good size.

Larger 8.5” x 11” flyers are great for hanging up at places people visit and quarter sheets can be used for you to hand out while you’re out searching.

Get comfortable talking to people about your pet! You are their champion and they need you to be social and active.

SOCIAL MEDIA & ONLINE

Websites / Apps
Nextdoor.com
Craigslist Lost & Found
Lostmydoggie.com
Neighbors by Ring app (You don’t need to have a Ring camera to use the app.)

Facebook
Neighborhood Groups
Local Lost Dogs/Cats pages

Shelters
Notify your local shelters that your dog or cat is missing. It is important to check the shelters in-person every 2-3 days, as many shelters only hold found pets for 72 hours before preparing them for adoption, transfer, or euthanasia.