Different species of animals behave differently when they
are lost and also in most of the situations, owners also panic
and search frantically all over the place. What people don’t
realize is that they shouldn’t take any action in haste but
should put in some thinking. And in such critical situations,
time cannot be wasted. If smart tactics are used, the animal
will itself come walking to the owner.
The first thing to do is to call out the name of the animal very
loudly. Usually the owners call out the name of the animal at
meal times. So the pet will associate the name calling with food
and will come out of the hiding for food if they are in
vicinity. Also, the dry food treats, which are given to the
animal, can be put in a can and covered with a lid. Then the can
should be rattled. Hearing the noise the pet will come rushing
to have the treat, no matter where they are hiding. They will
get tempted to have their treat. This technique is also known as
conditioning response and is very effective.
Very rarely will a pet come out of the hiding in broad daylight.
The owners must wait till dusk and then start the search of the
animal in the neighborhood. But they should not waste time
during the day and it should be utilized to inform the law
enforcement about the present situation, because in most of the
states, it is a must to report a lost animal within an hour. And
if this time limit is crossed the owner can be heavily penalized
and even get arrested. All the legal requirements should be
documented and all the names of the involved people should be
noted down. This will help in providing a proof later.
Portable torch or spotlight can be used to search around at
night. This is also an effective technique because the animal
will be looking straight at the human and also its eyes will
reflect the light and shine in the dark. If the animal has
escaped from the premises, every house in the neighborhood
should be knocked and people should be shown pictures of the
pet. Also, contact information should be left in case if they
find the pet they can contact you. There can be a great
possibility of someone spotting the animal. And if someone does
see the animal, it will give the direction in which the animal
is proceeding.
The animal can be in big risk if it declawed or de-fanged. It
will not have the basic means of self-defense. If in a dense
area, it will hide till dark and then wander around in the
night. Also the animal cannot hunt for food, it will be very
hungry and tired. Again here the rattling of the can with dry
food can do the trick. Even its favorite toy, which makes noise,
can be used. Any familiar sound will encourage the animal to
come out of the hiding. The recognition of the rattling of the
can and noise of a toy should be part of the training, which
will be useful in such situations. In fact, the animal should be
made to hear this sound everyday. But a person should carry out
this practice, which is close to the pet. The same person should
try this trick when the animal is lost, as the pet will not come
to an unknown person.
Even after all these efforts, the pet isn’t found; flyers should
be distributed in the neighborhood. The flyer should have a
picture of the pet, its description, owner’s contact information
and a reward if any. The idea of the reward, even if it a small
amount, will catch the attention of many and some might even
become proactive members of the search team. If budget allows,
do print the flyer in color, as the picture will be more easily
recognizable. It is very important to mention that if any one
sees the animal, do not try to catch it, instead the owners must
be contacted immediately.
Also, medium sized boards similar to advertising boards can be
put up within a radius of two miles. The words ‘lost pet’ and
telephone number should be written in big and bold font. Other
details can be written in smaller font. When the animal is
found, the signs should be saved for future use.