Lost Dog? Guide to Find Your Buddy

It could surprise you to know that 10 million dogs and cats go missing each year. What should you do if your furry friend is missing to be reunited?

Perhaps you also don’t know the sad fact that there’s a 31% increase in lost dogs on and around July 4th. While it’s scary when your fur kid is missing, you can have a happy outcome. My pup, Henry, went missing twice when I turned my back. While my heart nearly pounded out of my body with worry, I found him in a very short amount of time.

So, don’t panic when your buddy needs you to take action. Yes, I know very well that’s often easier said than done. With this in mind, today, we’ll dig in and discover a great step-by-step guide to finding your buddy. Also, we’ll cover how to keep your pup safe and avoid having a lost dog. 

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Budget tip:

Keeping your furry friend safe with a microchip, ID tag, and secure home and property can take a bit of effort. But it’s worth not having a lost dog or buddy. You won’t worry or spend money on pricey vet bills from injuries. Also, you will reduce the risk of never being reunited if you become separated, even during July 4th celebrations. It’s a win-win for you and your fur kid.

TIP: Remember that fireworks and loud noises are scary for most dogs. Take preventative measures to make sure your pup is secure and safe. Here’s an article with all the details of what works for Henry.

Here are the basics:
Free lost dog template - from Paw Boost
Pet Dectective near you - pick a certified one with good reviews
Vibrate collar - this is what I got after Henry ran away
ID tag - I have the cute little red bone for Henry
Heartbeat toy, crate, cooling vest, and calming aid - to keep your pup calm when they could be scared such as with fireworks

Immediate actions to take when your fur kid is missing

• Try to stay calm
• Search your home and the surrounding areas. I lost one of my kitties in a closet for more than 24 hrs. Some furry companions are good at hiding.
• Calmly call their name
• Shake a treat bag, food, or squeak a favorite toy
• Check your security cameras
• Contact your family, neighbors, and friends to keep their eyes open and ask them to check their security cameras
• Leave out familiar scents to help draw them back home, such as a toy, blanket, bed, or one of your dirty shirts

Start to expand your search to find your fur kid

• Contact your local shelter, area animal care services, and rescues, provide a detailed description and a photo of your buddy
• Notify local vet clinics with a photo and description in case your buddy is injured and brought in for care
• Post on social media sites such as
  • Facebook lost pet groups  
  • Nextdoor  
  • PawBoost  
  • Petco Love Lost
  • Bluesky also has a great dog and pet community willing to help a furry friend in need
  • Your camera security app generally will have a way to notify neighbors of a lost pet (or other area issues)
  • Also, ask your local animal shelter, humane society, or rescue organization for lost pet (and found pet) community outreach sites in your area.
• Notify your microchip company. Many have a lost pet service, which you can activate. 
• Create a lost pet flyer. Pawboost has an easy one with all the info you need to include.
• Post the flyers with details about your missing pet in a targeted advertising method by placing them in areas such as:
  • Your neighborhood (avoid putting in mailboxes, private property, street signs, bus stops, or utility posts). 
  • If you have an HOA ask where you can post your flyer.
  • Grocery store, gym, and other community bulletin boards
  • Pet-focused companies such as pet supply stores, groomers, trainers, kennels, and doggy daycares
  • Vet clinics and animal hospitals
  • Shelter and rescue organizations
• Talk with local drivers and area services so they can keep their eyes open and give them a flyer. These drivers can include:
  • DoorDash
  • Uber eats
  • Instacart
  • Amazon drivers
  • UPS 
  • FedX
  • Dog walkers
  • Pet sitters
  • House sitters
  • Lawn care providers 
  • Pest control services 
  • Pool care companies
  • Construction, painting, or roofing companies working in your area

Basically, anyone you see driving through your neighborhood on a regular basis, flag them down, give them a flyer, and ask them to notify you if they see your buddy. 

Note: Whether you have a lost cat or a couple of lost dogs, the steps for recovery will be the same. 

A pet detective may also help with finding your lost dog

While you may not find Jim Carey, there are credible pet detectives all over. Most have drones and can search areas without spooking your buddy. In fact, a pet detective found a dog by drone in just 41 minutes. Impressive! 

However, there are a lot of pet recovery specialists who are scammers. So, always check out the person and company before you hire them. 

Note: There are several impersonators online, especially on Instagram, preying on folks’ fears and pretending to be a reputable company. So, be careful and do your research. 

You can find a pet detective near you here. However, I would still research the person before hiring them. 

What should I do if I spot my dog or any lost dog?

• Don’t chase the pup! Running toward the lost dog may make them run away in fear.  
• Don’t yell at your fur kid! 
• Instead, get low, stay calm, and use a soft voice. Let them come to you.  
• Offer treats or food. Try to tempt them with their favorite snacks.  
• Also, in case you can’t contain your escaped buddy, remember the location and time, so you can notify folks in the area of the new details, and they can check their cameras to help you reunite.

Note: In my area, I’ve found many lost pets over the years. I’ve always lowered my voice and my body. For me, that’s all I needed, as these furry friends were looking for a safe space to land while their furever families found them. Usually, I could find their ID tag and contact their human rather easily. However, numerous times, I could never locate their families, so I adopted what were considered stray animals and not lost animals.

What preventative measures can I take in the future so I don’t have a lost dog?

There are several steps dog parents can take to prevent their pup from becoming lost. These include: 

• Microchip your dog and keep your contact information up to date.  As a lesson about how critical it is to keep your fur kid’s microchip info updated, a dog was recently lost, turned into an animal shelter, but the chip information was incorrect, and the pup was adopted by a new family. 
• Use a collar with ID tags. Make sure the identification tag is readable and secure.  
• Secure your yard and home. Check for gaps in fences, loose gates, or broken latches.  Even if you’re visiting someone’s home, never assume that it’s secure. 
• Train your pup with a solid recall command. Teaching “come” could be life-saving.  
• Never leave your buddy with someone you don’t know or trust. 
• Don’t leave your fur kid unattended for any great amount of time.
• Always lock your car door if you leave your pup inside while you run into the post office for a few minutes. But also make sure your pup is secured with a safety belt and the window is cracked. However, don’t leave the windows all the way down so that someone could take your pup. If it’s a hot day, leave your pup at home in a cool and safe spot.
• If you have a large property and can’t fence it, then try a vibrate collar so your dog can learn boundaries. But never use a shock collar. 
• Use calming aids when there is something scary in your area on such as fireworks. A heartbeat toy, crate, cooling vest, and calming aid seem to do the trick for Henry. (If you want the mushroom calming aid I use with Henry, use code Laylaswoof to get 10% off.)

What happened when Henry was a lost dog?

Shortly after I adopted Henry and while we were just beginning training classes, he escaped twice. It was scary! But he was well marked with an easy-to-read ID tag and updated microchip. 

The first time, he ran into a neighbor’s open front door and began playing with their pup as if it were a normal occurrence. In reality, it was their first meeting. Thankfully, they called me immediately. 

The second time Henry escaped, he jotted across our often busy street to look for a new friend. Thankfully, a neighbor saw him and picked him up. The neighbor said she had just seen a coyote a few minutes before Henry appeared. So, he could’ve been trying to find the big pup to have a playdate. 

After that, we practiced recall regularly. I also never turned my back on him because he has lightning speed when he sees something he thinks will be fun. But just to make sure he’s always safe, I also got him a vibrate collar. He wears it when we walk around the property. It’s a safety precaution that puts my mind at ease. Since I’ve done all the Henry-proofing of our property, he has not gone missing. I’m very grateful!

How does keeping my fur kid secured and not having a lost dog save me money?

You may not think about the cost of having a lost buddy. But it can add up on top of your stress over your fur kid being lost. Consider the following expenses for a moment.

Issue	Estimated Cost
Injured – vet bills	$250 – 8,000
Shelter fees	$25 – 300
Reward fee (if offered)	$100+
Flyer cost (printing)	$80+
Pet detective	$200 – 1,000
Buddy being adopted by another family or euthanized	BEYOND HEARTBREAKING!!!!
Not worrying about your lost fur kid	PRICELESS!!!!

Related articles:

• Surprising Ways To Calm A Dog With Severe Anxiety
• Astonishing Dog ID Must-Knows: Unleashing Secrets!
• Dog Car Seat Belt: Essential for Your Precious Pup!
• Unleashing the Truth About Dog Adoption: 23 Myths Busted!
• Alarming Dog Shock Collar Side Effects: Too Costly!
• Best 12 Alternatives to Invisible Dog Fences
• Dog Microchipping Saves On Costs? True!
• Emergency Dog Fund: How Much Money Should You Save?
• How A Dog License Saves Dogs And Benefits You
• Is There a Cheap Easy Way to Train Your Dog?
• Who Says You Can’t Barter Dog Services?
• Secret World Of A Dog Parent Community
• Easy Dog Fence Jumping Solutions
• Easy Dog Yard Digging Solutions
• 20 Steps For Dog Overnight Visits
• 10 Steps to Find the Best Vet

From Panic to Plan: How to Handle a Lost Dog Situation

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While it can be scary when your buddy is missing, there are steps you can take to have a successful reunion. But first, always take preventative measures when there’s something scary, like fireworks, so that your buddy doesn’t become a statistic.

When your pup is missing, you want to act quickly. Time is super critical as your buddy will most likely be scared and in fight or flight mode. I’m lucky that Henry didn’t even know he was lost and was still friendly and very approachable. 

As you start your search, begin at home and start expanding outward. Check with shelters, rescues, vet clinics, and local folks in your neighborhood. Once you’ve recovered your buddy, take measures to prevent it from happening again, as I did with Henry. I don’t worry about him being lost, which makes our outdoor adventures at home much more enjoyable.