Lost or Missing Pet? Use the Internet to Help Find It!
by Danny Davids(39)It happens to even the most caring and careful of pet owners. An open gate in the back yard; a large, freshly-dug hole under the privacy fence; an old, frayed leash that snaps after that last extra tug. In a matter of seconds, your family pet is gone, taken off to who knows where. Your pet has its collar and name tag on, so you print up "Lost" posters and plaster them all over your neighborhood, as well as in the surrounding areas. You call your local Humane Society, checking to see if anyone has brought in your missing pet. Yet you have no leads. What else can you do? Have you considered the Internet?
Doing a Google search on "lost pets" brings up a plethora of sites dedicated to helping distraught owners reunite with their missing pets. Now, you may be thinking, "Oh, please! Like somebody in New Jersey is going to help me find the pet I lost in Texas!" Yes, there are the occasional news stories of the pets that were found hundreds of miles from their home; however, that's not the norm. Most pets are found up to 20 miles away from their point of origin, so for the vast majority of pet owners, a local search is the most reliable way to find your pet. These various sites offer assistance in organizing and conducting your search. Some are merely bulletin-board sites where you select the city in which the animal was lost and post an ad for that area. Others are more proactive, forwarding information about your pet to shelters and vets in your area. One site even mails postcards to homes and businesses in your area based on zip code (for a fee, of course). Some sites are text-only, while others let you upload pictures of your pet to help identify it. Many have tips on how to conduct a search for you pet, with dos and don'ts that will help reduce the time you spend without your pooch or kitty.
Of course, it always helps to do as much as you can to prevent a pet from escaping in the first place. Never leave your pet unattended in your yard, especially if it is a cat or a breed of dog prone to escape from your yard by jumping over or digging under a fence. Make sure all gates to your yard are securely closed, and outside doors in your home close properly. When walking, don't use a worn-out or mended leash, and be sure the leash and collar you use for your dog are sufficiently heavy enough to handle the additional strain of your dog leaping or pulling on the leash. Again, many of these sites have information that can help you prevent losing your pet in the first place.
Nobody wants to think about what would happen if a family pet went missing. It's good to know there are caring people on the Internet who have information in place to help maximize your search efforts and minimize the amount of time you have to spend without your pet in your home.
Article submitted Saturday, April 25, 2009 & read 245 times.
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