My Dog Is Missing: Who Do I Contact?

If your dog comes up missing, it can be very scary, even if s/he hasn't been stolen! Here's a short list of people you may want to contact to assist your search:

1. Neighbors may have seen your dog running loose, or may have seen suspicious activity. Be sure to keep your dog on-leash/contained so when s/he is running loose, your neighbors will know to contact you!
   
2. Animal Shelters will not know to call you if your dog isn't wearing a collar with id/license attached, and s/he isn't chipped. You would be surprised how many people never think to call the animal shelters or dog pound!
   
3. Police may be of assistance even when your dog hasn't been stolen. Officers both in cars and on foot can call if they have spotted a loose dog fitting your dog's description.
4. Area Veterinarians should be informed, also. This is where a microchip is once again important: if the vet takes in a dog fitting your dog's description, whether as a "new" client or an accident victim, s/he can scan the dog to check for microchip id.
   

Dog Theft On The Rise

"In the first three months of 2008, the AKC has tracked more than 30 thefts from news and customer reports, versus only ten for all twelve months of 2007." (AKC eNewsletter April 2008)

At such an alarming rate (10x increase within the year), pet owners need to take heed, as do breeders, kennels, shelters, pet stores, and salons.

Here are a few tips for keeping your pets safe:

1. Don't let your dog outside off-leash.
2. Don't leave your dog in the yard unattended for long periods of time.
3. As tempting as it may be ;) , don't brag on the purchase price!
4. Don't leave your dog in an unattended car, even if it's locked.
5. Read the AKC article for more great tips!

And don't forget to MICROCHIP YOUR DOG!