Link to web site details for lost animals
By Scotty Valadao a Canine Behaviourist and TTouch Practitioner from Gauteng
Your worst nightmare comes true, you arrive home from holiday only to discover that you beloved pet is missing. What do you do?
( In all the following, give out your contact information and if possible offer a reward)
Phone all the local vets.
Contact all the SPCA’s and the Animal Anti-Cruelty Leagues, even those not directly in your area, stray pets are often taken to a shelter which is know to the person who helped.
Place a free advert in your local paper and a local daily publication such as The Star. At the same time check the ‘found’ section daily in these publications.
Many of the breeds, such as Border collie, have their own rescue centers. If your breed falls into one of those categories contact them as well.
Where cats are concerned you can also contact organizations such as ‘Friends of the Cat’, ‘Cat Haven’ and similar. Your local vet or shelter will have access to the phone numbers.
Check with all the neighbours in your street and as many streets around you as possible. Put up posters in as many locations as possible.
If none of the above lead to the recovery of your pet, you need to take your search further, as soon as possible.
Visit all the local vets, animal shelters, pet shops and grooming parlours and put up a poster with a picture of your pet.
Keep on checking the vets and shelters and rescue organizations every few days.
Keep your advert in the local papers.
The majority of the local schools have weekly newsletters and for a small fee usually allow you to put in a few words about your lost pet.
Put up posters in your local area, offering a reward and with your contact number. The best places are robots, intersection and shopping center.
PREVENTATIVE MEASURES
One of the worst times of year for missing pets is the period between Christmas and New Year and Guy Fawkes. This appears to be due to the amount of animals that are fearful of the bangs and crackers and in desperation run, just to get away from the noise.
All pets should be micro-chipped. This gives vets, shelters and similar organizations the opportunity of finding out immediately who the pet belongs to. This is a simple procedure and should be done as soon after getting your pet as possible. There is even an micro chipped ‘cat flap’ available now.
Many people advocate that pets should wear collars giving your contact information. Due to the high instances of dogs that are strangled when their collars catch on the top of a gates and walls when trying to run away, not all owners are in favour of this method. There are special collars available that will snap if the pet gets caught on an object, but these are not fool proof. Also, there is the possibility that the collar may come off, leaving the person who finds your pet with no contact information. If you’re pet is the type who goes ‘walkabout’ a micro-chip is a necessity, as well as contacting a behaviourist to learn how to stop or lessen the ‘walkabouts’.
If you have not booked your pet into a kennel or cattery for the holidays, have a responsible person staying in the house to look after your pets who will not be going out on Christmas and New Years Eve. Kennels and catteries fill up very quickly and it is important to make your booking well in advance. Always visit the kennel before booking to ascertain that it is up to your standards.
Have a file available at home with all the contact information of the local vets and rescue shelters in it, as well as a photo of your pet, which can be used by the house sitter or a friend or family member to help search for your pet during your absence if it does stray.
If your pet does have a fear of fireworks, liaise with your vet regarding medication, especially for Guy Fawkes, Christmas and New Year Eve when they appear to be the worst, and show your house sitter how to administer the medication. If at all possible, stay at home with a fearful pet during this period. A method to help pets cope with fireworks if they are frightened is the Tellington TTouch method. For help on this contact a practitioner.
Either phone home yourself on a daily basis or have a friend or family member who can check that all is well on your behalf. If your pet does go missing then the sooner the search begins the better.
Let your local vet know that you will be going away and who is responsible for your pets while you are gone.
Check your boundary walls or fence for holes and gaps and make sure that all gates open and close correctly.
Simple measures such as the above can safe a huge amount of heartbreak and stress and you will enjoy your holiday that much more knowing that you have done all you can to safeguard your pet.