Sometimes, prevention is the best solution to a lost pet.
- Make sure your yard is pet-proof. Check for gaps in the fence or holes underneath. Don’t stack things near the fence where your dog or cat could climb up and over!
- Make sure your home is pet-proof. A dog or cat can easily jump out an open window if it doesn’t have screens. A dog or cat can push open a door that doesn’t latch properly. Keep up the maintenance on all doors and windows!
- Keep gates and doors securely closed and locked. The best fence in the world will be useless if the gate doesn’t stay closed.
- Put your dog on a leash and your cat in a carrier when you are going anywhere! Even if it is just five steps from the door to the car, put your dog on a leash. If he sees a squirrel or another dog, he may bolt!
- Always keep a collar on your pets. In case they do escape, a collar can help someone catch them. Also, a nice collar shows that this pet is loved and has a family somewhere.
- Always keep current tags on your pets’ collars. Whoever finds your pets will be able to call you and return your lost family members. Make sure the rabies tag is current — an expired rabies certificate puts your pets’ lives at risk if they happen to bite someone or if the area is under a rabies alert or quarantine.
- Talk to your vet about microchipping or ID tattoos. Some animal shelters automatically microchip dogs and cats that come through. If you have an escape artist in your family, you may want to consider a permanent identifier like tattoos or microchipping in addition to collar and tags.
- Spay or neuter your pets. A fixed pet will be less likely to want to wander!
Just in case…
- Take several good, accurate photos of your pet. If you ever have to make lost pet flyers, you want to have distinctive pictures of your missing family member!
- Train your pet to respond to a dog whistle. Blow the whistle before a meal, so they learn to associate the whistle with a positive experience. If you ever have to try to find a lost dog, you can use the whistle to help him find you.