Lost Dog or Cat? What to Do in the First 24 Hours

• Search on foot, starting where your pet was last seen. The American Kennel Club suggests starting within about a two-mile radius for dogs.
• Cats usually hide nearby, often within a few houses. Check sheds, garages, under decks and cars, and in bushes, ideally with a torch, and ask neighbours to check their outbuildings.
• Call calmly and use words your pet loves ("dinner", "walk"). Shake a treat tin. Don't chase a frightened dog; sit down, turn side-on and let them come to you.
• Leave someone at home with the door watched, and put out water and something that smells of home, such as their bed.

1. Call your microchip database to report your pet missing and check your phone number and address are up to date.
2. Call local shelters, animal control and nearby vets, and give them a photo and description: breed, colour, markings, size, age, collar.
3. Post on local lost and found pet groups and neighbourhood apps, with a clear photo and your phone number on the image.
4. Knock on doors and ask people to check gardens and outbuildings. Delivery drivers, postal workers and dog walkers cover a lot of ground.

Print large, simple flyers: one big photo, "LOST DOG" or "LOST CAT" in letters readable from a car, the area, and your phone number. Our free lost pet flyer template and poster template are ready to fill in and print.

• Put them up at junctions, vets, pet shops, groomers, parks and community boards.
• Search again at dusk and dawn, when it's quiet and frightened pets are more likely to move.
• Widen your search area, and check busy roads with care.

• Visit shelters in person rather than relying on phone calls, and keep visiting regularly. Staff and volunteers change, and descriptions get missed.
• Repost on social media every day so your post stays visible.
• Leave a scent trail: keep familiar bedding or worn clothing outside your home.
• Be careful with reward scams: never send money before you've seen your pet in person, and meet anyone claiming to have them in a public place.

• Microchip your pet and keep the registration up to date whenever you move or change number.
• Use a collar ID tag with your phone number.
• Keep clear, recent photos from several angles, including any unusual markings.
• Practise recall with your dog and check gates, fences and windows.
• A GPS collar can show roughly where your dog is if they escape.

Most lost pets are found close to home. Search early, tell the microchip database, shelters and vets, put up clear flyers, and keep checking in person. Don't give up after the first day.