How To Find a Lost Dog

Is your dog missing? Follow these helpful tips which may help your dog come home safely, sooner. The more proactive you are and by exploring all possible avenues in your search efforts, the higher the chances of being reunited with your lost dog. Unfortunately we are not able to provide personalised assistance to help find your dog, but we hope these suggestions help.

  1. Create a Lost Dog Poster (it’s free). Post it on local ‘lost and found’ Facebook groups for your area. Print and put in letterboxes around area where the dog got lost from.

  2. Search the area immediately and knock on neighbours doors and ask if they have seen your dog. Remember to bring a dog leash with you and call your dog’s name regularly. Bring tasty treats and squeaky toys (if your dog likes them) to encourage the dog to come to you when found. Dogs may follow familiar paths, so search local parks, trails, and recreation areas that he or she may visit. Ask friends/family to help so more areas can be searched, quicker.

  3. Check microchip details are up to date: Call your local council or pound with the microchip number of your dog so they can check if the microchip details are up-to-date and mark the dog as missing. If you don’t have the microchip number, ask the staff member to search your address as the microchip number ‘may’ be found by searching your address.

  4. Check local ‘lost and found’ facebook groups and pages for your area.

  5. Contact local pounds and vets: Check the lost pet section on the website for your local pound to try find your pet listed. Email local pounds, vets, AWL NSW and RSPCA NSW with the Lost Dog Poster. Sometimes it can be best to physically visit the local pound and contacting every few days in case someone holds onto your dog for a few days before bringing him/her in. Note: whilst each council has a designated pound that their stray dogs should go to, occasionally, a lost dog may end up at another pound.

  6. Don’t give up: Continue searching and spreading the word. New lost and found pets are added to the website and/or social media pages for pounds regularly during working hours. And dogs have been known to be found long after they initially went missing.

Have a dog at home that isn’t lost or has your dog recently been found and gone home? Check out our tips for dogs that escape.