My Pet Is Lost! What Should I Do?

Use our checklist to get the word out to as many different audiences as possible!  You are your pet’s biggest cheerleader!  The more people that know your pet is missing, the more help you immediately have available to keep an eye out for your lost fur baby.

  1. Post your pet on Missouri Lost & Found Paws.
  2. Post your pet on one of the Missouri Lost & Found Paws regional groups that best applies to the area your pet is lost:
  3. Post your lost pet on your own social media account(s)!  Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, whatever platform you are connected to!  You wouldn’t believe the power of your own network!
  4. Contact your pet’s microchip company to make sure that the chip is registered to you AND that the microchip company has your latest information on file. Here is a list of the microchip companies and their contact information. Be sure to tell them your pet is lost so that they can update their system accordingly
  5. Make a flyer! Include a clear, color picture of the pet. Include your phone number. If there is an alternate number that can be used, list that as well. Use the flyer as your communication vehicle. By keeping a constant image, it stays in people’s minds much better.
  6. Hang signs in the area! Keep hanging additional signs every day by going out further and further out. Put the words “Have you seen me?” or “Help me get home” at the top of your flyer in big, bold letters. Please read our tips on how to make weatherproofed signs.
  7. Post on nextdoor.com.  It is a free service that allows you to connect with nearby neighborhoods.  Be sure to select ‘all neighborhoods’ when posting your pet.
  8. Provide a copy of your flyer to your lost postal worker, UPS driver and FedEx driver. Ask them to keep an eye out for your pet while they are on their route.
  9. Hand out flyers door to door if you are in a neighborhood.
  10. Hand out flyers to local businesses and ask if they would be willing to post your lost pet in their place of establishment as well as their social media presence(s).
  11. Post on your metro Craigslist under the Lost & Found section.  Include pictures of your pet that are clear and in color. Include your contact information using the Craigslist tools. We advise listing more than one phone number. In order to get information on where your lost pet has last been seen, timing is of the essence. If you accept text messages, put that in your ad.  Be sure to check your email frequently. Though you may have listed your phone number in the Craigslist ad, some folks opt to send emails.
  12. Notify the non-emergency phone number of your local police department regarding your lost pet. Often times, finders of lost pets will notify local police of the pet that they have found.
  13. Give your flyer to post offices, fire stations, postal workers, FedEx drivers, UPS Drivers, local veterinary clinics, groomers and pet stores.
  14. If your pet had ID tags on, one of which being a rabies tag, contact your county animal control office to make sure that they have your contact information listed correctly in their database. If not, have them correct it immediately.
  15. If you know someone in animal rescue, ask them to share the flyer with their contacts.
  16. Place a large sign in your front yard to let passerby individuals about your missing pet.
  17. Active on Facebook? Look for buy/sell/trade groups on Facebook for your locale. Post your flyer.
  18. Search PetFinder & AdoptaPet in case your pet was sent to a rescue group.
  19. Check PetHarbor frequently. PetHarbor lists incoming pets at many of the larger shelters within our community such as St Louis County Animal Control, the Humane Society locations and the APA.  When searching Petharbor, be sure to search ALL dogs, not just by breed.
  20. Please check shelters IN PERSON. It is not possible for shelter workers to keep up with all of the animals that come into the shelters or animal control facilities on a daily basis. What one person calls a shepherd mix, another calls a mixed breed, and another calls a lab mix.
  21. Missing Pet Partnership, another non-profit organization, has a great article on tagging your car. Using washable markers made specifically for vehicles, you can easily continue to spread the word about your missing pet.
  22. Perhaps your search has been fruitful. Maybe you have located your lost pet, but you are having a difficult time to secure the pet. We have many volunteers who are experienced in trapping lost domesticated animals through the use of humane traps. In these cases, many of the volunteers are experienced animal rescuers who are affiliated with well known local animal rescue groups. We have the resources to help you in this case as well should you need it!
  23. Post your lost pet to Helping Lost Pets.

Here are some additional tips from Missing Pet Partnership.

Panicked Pets

Lost Dog Behavior

Lost Cat Behavior

Feeding Stations and Wildlife Cameras

We hope these tips will be of help to you in your journey to get your lost pet home. We also realize that the above information can be very overwhelming. Please join us on Facebook. We and our community of supporters ARE here to help! We ask for nothing in return but it would make our day to see your update to us that your pet is home safely!
If we can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.