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Health & Fitness

Don't Lose Hope With a Lost Pet

Lost a pet? Here's how you can be your own pet detective.

Kim Penque, Community Contributor
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Many of us are blessed to share out heart and home with a Pet.  Having spent the last few years volunteering at Friends of Attleboro Animal Shelter, I realize just how many pets go missing and unclaimed.  I see more and more “Lost Dog” and “Lost Cat” signs popping up all over the place, from telephone poles to various places on the Internet. I have not personally ever lost a pet, but have been on the front lines of searches to try and reunite lost pets with owners and it’s an emotionally exhausting experience.

Losing a pet is like losing a family member: it’s painful and requires immediate action. It takes hard work and dedication, but one must never give up or lose hope. Losing a pet can leave you feeling overwhelmed, helpless and hopeless, but taking action quickly can make all the difference in finding your beloved pet.

Timing and teamwork means everything! There is a lot of information available to assist with finding your lost pet and even that can be overwhelming! So, where does one begin?  I have put together a few tid-bits of information in hopes that you never need it, but if you do my hope is that it helps!

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Micro-Chip:

  • If your pet is Micro-Chipped, call the micro-chip company immediately and alert them!  Although a Chip is not a GPS tracking device, if your pet is chipped and arrives at an Animal Shelter or Vets office hopefully he or she gets scanned and you can be alerted and reunited.

Lost Pet Signs and Fliers:

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  • Get the word out there and get it done fast! Neon poster board is ideal for lost pet signs and fliers, they are bright and stand out!  Fewer words with large print maximizes the impact!  Signs should not be overly large as they will flop over more often then smaller ones; typically a good size is 11 by 14.
  • Most people are not breed savvy so choose descriptive words wisely.
  • Letters and Numbers should be Bold and Capitalized (no fancy fonts or graphics).
  • List basic info and phone numbers MUST have area codes (cell phones are ideal).
  • Color photos of the lost pet should be large and focused on the pet, preferably a full body picture.
  • Posters can also be inserted into clear sleeve protectors (upside down) or clear freezer bags (upside down) to help preserve the sign in inclement weather.

The picture you see with this post is that of a mising dog named Sasha. Please keep your ears and eyes open for her!

See for yourself

  • Places where one might look for a lost pet get calls all day long. Do not be just another voice on the other end, show up in person and speak with as many people as you can. Always remember to stop by daily, it is your job to be the ears, eyes and voice for your lost pet!
  • Visit animal shelters and veterinary offices in your area daily! Relying on phone calls is not enough. All animal shelters will allow you to post a lost pet sign at the shelter.
  • Visit pet adoption events and pet supply stores. Most Pet Supply stores have Community bulletin boards which you can post a Lost Pet sign on.

Cyber Search

We have so many resources available at the stroke of a key  or click of a mouse–so use them to post information about your missing pup at these locations:

Local Animal Shelters to Contact and Send Info: VISIT AND CALL DAILY!

Attleboro - 508-761-5617

Website:  www.faaspets.org

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/FAASAttleboroPets

Email:  AttleboroPets@hotmail.com

North Attleboro – 508-699-0128

Website:  http://north-attleboro.ma.us/shelter/

Friends of Website:  http://fnaas.org/

Email:  info@fnaas.org

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_67184793474&ref=ts

Norton – 508-286-2855

Email:  Rockafella76@comcast.net

Seekonk – 508-336-6663

Email:  shall@seekonk-ma.gov

Pawtucket – 401-722-4243

Website:  http://pawtucketanimalshelter.org/

At the end of each day Keep the Faith and always remember lost pet reunions happen! Many people keep a found pet for weeks or months, hoping to find the owner before resorting to a shelter. Some people keep a lost pet themselves but bring it to a shelter or adoption agency if circumstances change. I do not agree with people who do this, but keep in mind it happens a lot, so once again never lose hope!

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