What to Do If Your Dog Has Been Missing for 24 Hours
Losing your dog can be an overwhelming experience, especially if you’ve been searching for them for over 24 hours. However, there are some steps you can take to help find your furry family member. In this blog, we’ll be going over what you should do after the 24-hour mark to increase your chances of a happy reunion.
Search the Area Nearby
Dogs don’t always stray far from home, and if it’s only been 24 hours, you should thoroughly check the nearby areas. Start by combing through your neighborhood, park and any other areas your dog may be familiar with. Make sure to call for your pet in a calm voice to lead them back to you. Your pup may also be scared or overstimulated with their environment, so make sure to check under porches and other hiding places as well.
Remember that you can increase your chances of finding your pet if you have some helping hands. Enlisting your friends and family to split up and help you search different nearby areas will help you cover more ground and get more eyes watching out for your dog.
Use Familiar Scents to Guide Your Pup Home
Dogs have an amazing sense of smell, so make sure to use that to your advantage. Using familiar scents that they enjoy is a great way to get your dog’s attention and give them a scent trail to follow. Try putting things like their dog bed, blanket or favorite toys outside your home to lure them back. You should also place some items that include your scent, such as a shirt you’ve been wearing all day, to help them find their way back. Remember, dogs can smell over incredibly long distances, so it’s never a bad idea to put these items outside your home, regardless of how long they’ve been missing.
Let Your Pup’s Friends Help in the Search
Your pup’s friends can be a valuable asset when searching for your missing dog. Dogs are social creatures, and they often form strong bonds with other dogs. If you have a second dog or a frequent playmate, enlist their help in your search. Their presence may help to draw your dog out and help you find them faster. Additionally, you could let your pup’s friend smell something like your dog’s bed and take them for a walk in your nearby areas. They might end up smelling your dog and could lead you to them. Also, having your dog’s friend around can be great if your dog is scared and hiding. Seeing you and a familiar friend may be enough to help coax them out of their hiding place.
Contact Neighbors and Community Members
Your friends and family members aren’t the only ones who can help search for your pet. It’s also a good idea to contact your neighbors and local community members and let them know your dog is missing. Letting as many people as possible know about your pet can significantly increase your chances of finding them. Contact your neighbors through call or text if possible, or go door to door and provide a picture of your pet so they know to look out for them. Also, it’s a good idea to give people a way to get in touch with you in case they do see your dog. Remember, every set of eyes can make a difference, so don’t hesitate to reach out and ask for help.
Inform Local Shelters and Animal Control
Regardless of how long your dog has been missing, it’s a good idea to contact local shelters and animal control to let them know. If these organizations have a description of your missing dog, they can immediately let you know if someone turns your dog in. They may even already have your dog.
Even if they don’t have your dog, it’s good for them to have all the information on hand. Make sure to provide them with your contact information so they can immediately call you if they find your pet. In short, informing your local shelters and animal control ultimately increases your chances of reuniting with your pet and having a happy reunion.
Put Up Lost Dog Flyers
Don’t underestimate the power of a good lost dog flyer. This can be an effective way to spread the word and raise local awareness of your missing pup. The key is to create a lost dog flyer that is informative without being overly wordy. Make sure your flyer has a clear, large photo of your missing dog. Include details like their name, breed, size and any identifying marks. You also need to include your contact information so anyone who spots your dog can easily reach out to you and let you know. If you wish, you can also include a reward amount for helping to find your dog.
Make sure you place the flyers in prominent locations throughout your community. Your best bets will be community bulletin boards, grocery stores and other local businesses. Simply ask the owner or an employee if you can post your flyer on a bulletin board. Also, keep in mind that it’s illegal to post flyers on utility poles or put them in mailboxes. Keep this in mind when passing your flyers out and choosing where to post them.
Use Social Media and Neighborhood Apps
Of course, one of the best ways to spread the word about a missing dog is with social media and neighborhood apps. Local social media pages and neighborhood apps often have hundreds or even thousands of followers, helping you to instantly reach a large audience of friendly neighbors who can keep an eye out for your dog.
When you make a post about your missing dog, make sure to use the same tips as your lost dog flyer. You will want to include a picture of your dog, information about your dog and information on how to contact you if your dog is found. You can also ask your friends and family members to share the post to increase the number of people who will see it.
These pages and apps also allow you to set alerts so you can instantly be notified if someone contacts you about your dog. Ultimately, finding a missing dog after 24 hours is about spreading the search area as wide as possible and getting lots of eyes looking out for your pet. By following all of the above tips, you can increase your chances of finding your lost family member.
PawBoost’s Free Tools Can Help You Reunite Sooner
PawBoost is one of the most powerful tools for finding missing dogs. With PawBoost, you can utilize numerous free tools that will raise local awareness about your pet. When you make a lost dog listing on our platform, it gets pushed to our local Facebook pages, our mobile app and our lost & found database.
Additionally, we have a free template for you to make flyers. Our Rescue Squad consists of millions of members, so we can give you the best chance of finding your lost pup. Make your free listing and post it on PawBoost today!
