Lost & Found Pet Information

1. Contact the local animal control center. Make sure you visit the facility if possible, and visit and call frequently. AND add/update link to Update the link to our local animal control center. https://www.georgina.ca/living-here/animal-services 
2.  Contact all the local veterinarians and animal-related businesses in the area to notify them that your pet is missing.   
3. Create a flyer for your missing pet a “Missing Pet” flyer  Make sure you have a clear picture of your pet on it and contact information if someone finds your pet. 
4. Provide details such as the color, breed, age, sex, and length of the animal’s hair. Mention whether or not the animal is wearing a collar or tags and if she/he is microchipped. Don’t forget to mention where and when the animal went missing. Also, remember to mention any distinguishing marks or old injuries. All details help. The more people you tell about your missing animal the quicker he/she will be returned to you. 
5. Call and ask to post a Missing Pet flyer in the local veterinary clinics, pet stores, parks , grocery stores, schools, libraries, and anywhere publically allowed in your neighbourhood.  Share this flyer or post on social media and lost and found sites. 
6. Look for your pet early in the morning or late at night when it is quiet, especially if you’ve lost a cat and he/she is an indoor cat who would be easily frightened by strange noises. There have been articles written that suggest that indoor cats normally don’t venture farther than a 5-house radius from their homes when they accidentally escape. Make sure to check under decks, in garages and sheds, under cars, etc. 
7. If your pet is microchipped, make sure your current contact information is up to date with the microchipping company.  Do report to the microchip company that your pet is currently missing. 

Sadly, thousands of pets are lost or stolen every year, and more than 70% of those never come home. 33 % of pets will get lost at least once in their lifetime. A microchip is not a GPS or tracking device and does not store any personal information.  This is why it is most important to make sure you keep your microchips company up to date with any telephone, address, or pet ownership changes.  The microchip only works if the contact information linked to the number is accurate and current. 

A tiny microchip may be the difference between lost and found.

Microchips are a permanent form of identification for pets.  The microchip itself is about the size of a grain of rice and is easily inserted under the skin between the shoulder blades with a special pre-loaded needle.  Anesthesia is not required and once implanted, easily scanned for verification and the reader displays a number that is tied to the owner’s personal information that is kept at the microchip company.

We have experienced several happy endings with pets that have microchips and have been able to get them home safely sometimes several months after they went missing.  The longest distance we’ve returned a pet home was to Waterloo. However, that isn’t the longest distance a lost pet has traveled!  Check out this story about a dog that was microchipped and was found 4,500km from his home!