If you’ve ever had a pet run away, you know how anxious and worried everyone can get – especially if it’s a pet you and your family love. Some pets have natural homing abilities, but others can become disoriented if they find themselves in an unfamiliar place.
If your pet is lost, there are a few things you can do to bring your pet safely back home. The important thing is not to worry or panic – it won’t get Felix or Fido home any faster. Imagine that your cat or dog is enjoying his citywide sojourn, which is usually the case.
The first and most obvious thing to do is look. Look in the obvious places: nooks and crannies in your own home, your own yard, and your own neighborhood. Put flyers up at intersections around the block. When pets wander, they usually don’t wander far.
However, if a day goes by without any reports, bring your campaign into Phase II and go public. Announce the search using your real-life and technological social networks, such as Facebook and Craigslist. Bikes, cars and other stolen merchandise have been recovered by the use of social networks – the same goes for pets. Let your friends and their friends know your pet’s last whereabouts, supply photographs, and let the community machine go to work.
Social networks are the new ‘telephone pole flyers,’ but it never hurts to put the word on the streets as well. Put together a ‘missing’ flyer – provide a description, a number and a possible reward. If you love your pet, the amount you’d give to have it back should be immeasurable.
If Phase I and Phase II don’t work, sometimes you just have to wait and let your pet engage its natural homing abilities. Most pets find their way back, but it never hurts to enlist outside help. As the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy says – don’t panic.
