Your Dog is Lost... Now What Do You Do

Your Dog is Lost... Now What Do You Do?
 Brookline Dog Licensing Program sent this flyer out and I thought I would share the info with you. It's appropriate no matter where you live.

Contact your town's Police Animal Control Officer -  in Brookline that number is 617-730-2222. If they are not available make sure to leave your name and contact information and a  description of your dog. Make sure to ask that this be logged in - in case someone sees your dog and calls the police.

Contact local animal shelters. Local shelters in the Brookline area include Brookline Animal Hospital - 617-277-2030, the City of Boston Shelter - 617-635-1800, the MSPCA Boston Animal Shelter - 617-522-5055 ext 5369, and the Animal Rescue League Boston Shelter at 617-426-9170. Again, be sure to leave your name, a description of your dog and your contact information. Be sure to call or visit frequently to ensure follow up.

Post a free, widely distributed notice in both the "Lost & Found" and "Pets" section of Craigslist at http://boston.craigslist.org  (or your local version).

Print several hundred Lost Dog Flyers on brightly colored, neon paper. Have friends and family post them everywhere (tape to trees - not staple - please) within at least one or two miles of where your dog went missing. (be sure to take them down once the dog is found). If it is raining - insert them into plastic sleeve protectors that you can get at office supply stores - opening facing down so rain won't get in. Provide a number that is monitored 24/7. A flyer template is available at on the Brookline Town Clerk webpage at www.brookline.gov

Make sure your dog has identification tags on them at all times - a minimum of a phone number - even if they are micro-chipped. Chips help once they make it to a Shelter or Vet but if the dog is found by a local person they have no way of reading the microchips and I am sure you would want them to call you ASAP.

In addition to these recommendations, I would suggest contacting local pet related stores- I have often been brought "lost" dogs and even have had some dogs "find" us. Use email, Facebook, Twitter to get the information out - it is the age of Social Networking - put it to good use!

Let's hope it never comes to this.