Start Your Search At Your Home:
Make sure you search your own property first, and surrounding neighbor's property (with their permission) checking areas where your dog could be trapped, injured, or deceased. Dogs have become trapped inside sheds, closed inside trailers, entangled in wires under homes, dropped into wells, and even fallen into neighbor swimming pools. Do not neglect searching nearby when looking for your lost dog.

Understand Lost Dog Dynamics:
Be sure to search all animal shelters within your area. It is difficult to predict how far lost dogs will travel because there are just too many variables. The distance that a lost dog will travel depends upon its individual temperament, the environment (terrain and weather), and the circumstances surrounding the disappearance. The question to ask when searching for a missing dog is "Who has my dog?" One complicating factor with lost dogs is that people who pick up stray dogs often transport them out of the immediate search area. Because a large amount of lost dogs end up in foster homes and rescue adoption programs, you should contact all rescue groups and breed rescue groups within your area. Animal shelters and dog rescue groups are a high probability search area for a lost dog.

Elderly, Disabled, and Small Dogs:
In general, elderly dogs, disabled dogs, and small dogs tend to be recovered quickly, often ending up within a few blocks from their escape point. Highly populated areas (apartments, condominiums, etc.) could mean a smaller radius and sparsely populated areas (rural farmland, mountains, desert, etc.) could mean your dog will travel farther. Place highly visible lost dog posters in the area of disappearance and utilize a flyer distribution service that will mail notices to homes within a one-mile radius from where the dog escaped.

Friendly and Purebred Dogs:
In general, wiggly-friendly dogs that readily go up to strangers for attention and purebred or rare breed dogs will be "rescued" must quicker than mixed breed dogs that often go unnoticed. This is likely because the average (non-rescue oriented) person who sees a mixed breed dog trotting down the sidewalk probably doesn't notice it but when the same person sees a dog of value (like an English Bulldog, Afghan, or a Great Dane) they will immediately pull over. This is because they either want the dog (to keep for themselves) or they assume that because it is a valuable dog it must be lost (and they stop to help). Your target search activites will, in general, be an aggressive flyer distribution and highly visible poster boards.

Distribute Flyers In Your Target Search Area:
Be prepared to respond to several sightings. Be sure someone is available at all times to answer incoming calls for potential sightings. Loose dogs are mobile and they can move quickly. Ask the caller if they are calling from a cell phone and if they are, ask them to remain on the phone with you to keep you updated on the dog's location. This tactic alone (cell phone to cell phone communication between a witness and a dog owner) has proven to be a highly effective method of recovering lost dogs. If you have a phone answering machine, make sure you change your message to include instructions on how someone can reach you on your cell phone. If you don't own a cell phone, borrow one! 

Place An Ad:
Place ads in both your local paper and distant newspapers. Also, check the "found pet" ads in these papers.

Lee Central Coast Newspapers
Phone: (888) 422-8822

Do Not Be Scammed:
Sadly, there are several "scams" where thieves prey on pet owners who have lost a pet. For example, there's the "truck driver" scam where someone calls to say that while driving through your area they picked up a stray dog and just now saw your lost dog Ad. They then ask you to wire them money so they can ship your dog back to you. You send the money and the dog never arrives. If someone tells you to wire money because they have your pet, do not believe them! Never agree to pay a reward until you have your pet in hand. If someone has your dog but demands money and won't return your dog unless you pay them, call the police. Never go to pick up your found pet alone. Tell a family member or friend exactly where you are going, take a cell phone with you, and take at least one other adult with you. And finally, be aware that anyone can take a dog, place a "SEARCH DOG" vest on it, claim it is trained to find lost pets, and charge a fee. Be certain to check references of any pet detective service that you use. Do Not Give Up!

Sometimes it takes weeks, even months to find a missing dog. There have even been cases where dogs have been located years after they disappeared. Physically, your dog is somewhere and it did not vanish from earth! Although it is possible that someone has transported your dog a long distance from your home, you must act on the assumption that the dog is nearby and that you will recover it. If you lose hope or become discouraged by others who are trying to tell you to "give up" your search efforts, you will reduce your chances of recovering your dog. 

Factors That Influence Distances Traveled:
There are six major factors that influence the distances that lost dogs travel: Temperament, Circumstances, Weather, Terrain, Appearance, and Population Density.

Temperament of the dog - How a dog behaves towards strangers influences how far it will travel (when lost) before someone intervenes and rescues it. There are three primary behavioral categories that lost dogs are classified into: Gregarious Dogs, Aloof Dogs, and Xenophobic Dogs.

• Gregarious Dogs: Wiggly-butt, friendly dogs are more inclined to go directly up to the first person who calls them. Depending on the terrain and population density where the dog was lost, these dogs will generally be found fairly close to home or will be picked up by someone close to the escape point. Gregarious dogs are often "adopted" by individuals (not shelter or rescue workers) who find them.
• Aloof Dogs: Dogs with aloof temperaments are wary of strangers and will initially avoid human contact. Eventually, they will be inclined to accept human contact once they have overcome fear issues and become hungry enough. While these dogs can travel a great distance, aloof dogs eventually can be enticed with food and patience, typically by experienced rescuers who know how to approach and capture a wary dog. These dogs are often recovered by rescue group volunteers, and their wariness can be easily misinterpreted as "abused." In addition, these dogs are often not recovered for weeks or months after their escape, giving them the physical appearance (thinness, injuries, stickers, ticks, etc.) that they are homeless, abused, and unloved.
• Xenophobic (Fearful) Dogs: Xenophobia means "fear or hatred of things strange or foreign". Dogs with xenophobic temperaments (due to genetics and/or puppyhood experiences) are more inclined to travel farther and are at a higher risk of being hit by cars. Due to their cowering, fearful behavior, people assume these dogs were "abused", and even if the dog has ID tags, they will refuse to contact the previous owner. Some of these panic-stricken dogs will even run from their owners! It may be necessary to use other dogs to get close enough to capture them or to use baited dog traps.

Weather - A dog that escapes on a beautiful spring day may travel farther than one that escapes in a snow storm. Extreme weather conditions (snow, hail, rain, sweltering heat) will decrease the distances that lost dogs travel.

Terrain - A dog that escapes in a residential area will not travel as far as a dog that escapes in a mountainous area. Fences that create barriers will influence a dog's travel since a dog will tend to take the "path of least resistance" when traveling. Cactus, heavy brush, and steep cliffs can be barriers that influence whether or dog continues on a path or changes directions.

Appearance of the dog - What a dog looks like can influence how quickly it will be picked up by a rescuer. In general, most people are less inclined to pull over and attempt to grab a loose Pit Bull they perceive as being "aggressive" than they would a "friendly" wiggly Labrador Retriever. Also, size matters: people are more inclined to pick up small dogs - they look vulnerable and are easier to transport and house than large dogs. In addition, people are more likely to attempt to rescue a purebred dog that they perceive to have value than a mixed breed dog. When average motorists see a mixed breed dog trotting down the sidewalk, their impression is often that the dog belongs in the neighborhood or that it is a homeless stray. But when those same people see a Boston Terrier, they are inclined to believe that, because it is a "valuable purebred dog", it must be a lost pet.

Population density - A dog that escapes in Manhattan will travel a shorter distance than will a dog that escapes in the Rocky Mountains or in rural farmland. When dogs escape into areas with a high number of people, their chances of being found close to the escape point are increased. But in areas with an extremely low number of people, they tend to travel further and their chances of being found close to the escape point are decreased. A dog that escapes in the middle of the night will travel farther before being seen than a dog that escapes during rush hour traffic.

Owner Behaviors That Create Problems:
Dog owners often behave in ways that actually inhibit their chances of recovering their lost dogs. Some develop a "wait and see" approach (believing their dog will return home like Lassie) and by the time they start actively looking, the vital first few hours to locate the dog (or witnesses who saw the dog) are gone. Others develop "tunnel vision" and fail to find their dog because they focus on wrong theories. They assume their dog was "stolen and sold to research" when in fact their dog might have been rescued and put up for adoption. They experience "grief avoidance" and quickly give up their search effort because they really believe they will never see their dog again. They feel helpless and alone, often discouraged by others who rebuke them and tell them "it was just a dog" and "you'll never find your dog."

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