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Help, I Lost my Dog
Every dog parent’s worst nightmare is to have lost your dog. While Bill Foundation deals mostly with placing rescued animals, we wanted to briefly cover this subject since accidents do happen. Here are some suggestions to help you through this crisis and hopefully to bring your dog home safe and sound.
An ounce of prevention . . .
You may consider keeping a photograph of your pet in your vehicle at all times, in the event he or she becomes lost and you have to search for them. Proper identification could mean the difference between life and death for your pet. According to the American Humane Society, approximately 15 million dogs go to shelters as strays; only 19 percent of them are redeemed by their owners. Few of these animals are wearing proper collars and tags.If you have adopted a Bill Foundation dog or one from another rescue/shelter, then your dog is probably microchipped. This is a very good thing. Even if your lost pet has also lost their collar, the microchip which is imbedded in the skin, will still be there. If the dog is taken to the city animal shelter the officer will be able to scan your  dog for the microchip and then return them to you. This is also true for many animal emergency rooms & veterinary clinics. Read more on microchipping your pet. But what if your dog is taken in by a kind stranger who doesn’t know what to do and ends up “fostering” your pet while waiting for you to find them! Or their tag falls off . . . Or they are never caught, etc. There is still more you can do than just idly wait by the phone.
If you have adopted a Bill Foundation rescue, call us immediately so we can help to find your dog. BF will do everything in its power to help organize a search for one of our lost alumi, however we recommend you also follow the suggestions below.
Get the word out! We can’t stress this enough. Tell everyone you know that your pet is missing and ask them to tell their friends as well. Dogs who have not been on the street for very long, often seek shelter & help right away and may have just gone over another block or so from their home. One of your neighbors may hear from  a neighbor, who heard it from another neighbor that they have your dog. Tell the postman, delivery people and the neighborhood kids as well. Kids are great at finding lost pets. However, if your dog has travelled much farther than your immediate area there are still things you can do.
Put up Signs
While this may seem old fashioned, it works. In fact, it is the number one way most dogs get home. Make sure the signs are large enough to read from a car, no small lettering - most people who see the sign will be in a car, not on foot. Use brightly colored paper to attract attention. Include a picture and your phone number on the flyer. Don’t include a long description, especially leave out something that will allow you to identify the dog as yours should you receive calls from unscrupulous people. Put them up in a one mile radius from where your pet was lost since you will not know which way your pet has travelled. We suggest putting them at intersections where cars naturally stop and might have time to read or at least notice the sign. Pedestrians are also more likely to stop at intersections before crossing a street.
Offer a reward
If you can afford it, offer a reward. This also works because it gets the attention of more people. Money sometimes buys help. The amount is up to you, but almost any amount can get more people involved in the search. Don’t list the amount on your flyer. Make sure to carefully screen all calls claiming to have found your dog.
Newspapers
Most newspapers provide an area for lost and found listings. The listings can be free of charge, or for a fee. If a fee is required, most newspapers only charge for things l ost, not for found items. Therefore, check the found listings to see if your dog is listed. Local radio stations will sometimes assist as well, depending on their format and size. Ordinarily, A.M. band stations, often featuring talk radio, might be willing to assist. Check your local newspaper and radio stations for more information.
Internet Resources
The web is now a great resource for finding a lost pet. Most animal shelters are now on line, and while your pet’s photo may not be there - the shelter website will list contact information and proceedures for searching for a lost pet. There is also a website dedicated to finding lost pets and you can list your pet at Pets Lost and Found.
More helpful advice can be found at Petrescue.com
 Hire a Pet Detective
This is a serious option for individuals with limited time. This service will usually scour the shelters for you, check with animal hospitals, and put up signs. There will definately be a heafty fee for this service. This is usually an option more for a completely unidentifiable pet (no tags or microchip).
Animal Shelters
If you have lost or found an animal, local animal shelters (which for the most part are independently operated) are a great place to inquire. This will require a trip to the shelter to confirm the identity of an animal. Many shelters have pictures of animals online, however, these are generally animals available for adoption, not those recently found. You can also speak with the volunteers who may have information, post pictures and get helpful advice. Plus, if your pet is microchipped they will alert you your pet has been found.
Find out if your pet has been killed on the road.
This is a very sad but necessary task. Otherwise, you may never know what happened to your pet and it could haunt you for years. Your local animal shelter will give you the appropriate contacts for finding out this information. If your pet has tags/microchip, they will probably contact you.
Remember, if your pet has some form of ID they have a much better chance of being returned to you and An Ounce of Prevention . . .
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Fax: (310) 860-9362