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 You can expect the next few weeks to be
some of the most difficult. Not only will you be feeling
the heartache of missing your pet, but most likely you will
gain a new awareness of how many missing pets there are, how
your state system deals with lost and found animals, how
your fellow man deals with found pets and so on.
Unfortunately, some of this information may leave you
feeling discouraged, disappointed and angry. Being prepared
will keep you a step ahead of the problems that you may
encounter. So keep your chin-up and persevere!
The Importance of the Reward
Poster
The reward poster is the most important
tool you have to recover your missing pet. At least 63% of
the missing pets that National Pet Recovery finds is a
direct result of the highly visible posters that are
strategically placed. Thirty-one percent of the missing
pets are recovered by mailing the reward poster to
animal-related agencies in a multi-county area from the
place the dog first became missing or in a 20 mile radius
from where the cat became missing. Hence, the reward poster
is the most important tool you will use to locate your pet.
Putting up a professional-looking reward
poster shows the public that you love your pet and care
enough to search for it. It is amazing how many people find
a pet, plan to keep it, but once they see a poster, they
decide to call because they realize how much the family
cares about the animal.
Information on the
Reward Poster
As you prepare the reward poster,
remember your goal is to acquire the help of the general
public. In order for it to be highly visible and look
professional, you must write only the most pertinent
information about your pet. Lengthy stories and heartfelt
poems can actually discourage people from reading it because
they don't have the time, and they can’t see the picture and
phone number from a car. Make the photo and phone number as
large as possible, and the information on your pet as brief
as possible, so they can gather the information about your
pet from a car or walking by the poster.
Reward
Putting the word “reward” or “substantial
reward” at the very top of the poster will help draw
attention to the poster. If you are able to get the word
reward in bright red you will have a better chance of people
noticing your poster. Do not put an amount of money. What
you are trying to do is to generate the call from the person
or persons who know where your pet is. Leaving the amount
of the reward open, may generate a call from someone who is
trying to determine which is worth more, the money or the
pet. Never give an amount of money over the phone. Just
say “it is substantial – we just want our pet back.” Try to
set up a meeting in a well-lit, public place. And, don’t go
alone.
Stolen
If your pet was actually stolen out of
your home, yard or car, by all means, do not put the
word stolen on your poster. Every gut instinct, every bit
of anger you feel, will direct you to do so, but absolutely
do not. If someone wants to call with information, or turn
someone in they know – that one word may scare them away and
you may not get the call you need. If the person who stole
your pet wants to call and check on the reward, they
probably will not if they see the word stolen.
Picture of your pet
It is very important to use a color
photograph of your missing pet on the posters. Using color
versus black and white aids in the identification process.
Brown to one person is beige to another while another calls
it tan. As we stated earlier, color and size is all a
matter of perspective. Try to put two pictures on the
poster if you can. Maybe one sho wing a close up of the
pet’s face and one with a person or an object next to the
pet to show the size. Using a photo of your pet with a
person (especially a child), a toy, another animal, or on
its bed "humanizes" the pet and shows how much it is loved.
We recently found a Chihuahua that was
missing. The finder called and stated that she was going to
keep the dog, because she loved it. But, after seeing the
child on the poster hugging it, she decided to call.
Pertinent information
about your pet
Pet’s name: Including the pet's
name personalizes the poster and makes the pet more than a
generic dog or cat that's missing – it is Sammy, Harriett,
Dylan, Jackpot, Missy, Precious… and so on. Over the years
we have heard from worried pet owners and a few animal
rescue organizations that if the person finding the missing
pet knows their name, they can control them. So what! The
benefit derived from putting the name on the poster
outweighs the fact that the finder can make them sit and
stay.
Pet’s breed:
List the breed of the missing pet. If it
is an unusual breed, describe it, as looking like a certain
pet on television or an animal that people would know. For
example: Sheltie (looks like a miniature collie).
Pet’s color:
List your pet’s coloring, especially if
you do not have a color picture available. Be careful not
to describe the coloring as sable, seal point or blue
merle. Most people have no idea what that means.
Pet’s id marks:
List id marks that are readily noticed by
the general public. Scars, nicks on ears, certain spots and
eye color are easy marks to identify. Don't list hidden
microchips, tattoos, etc. because these are your "ace in the
hole" in case someone has your pet but doesn't want to give
it up. Also, in regard to tattoos -- never list a hidden
tattoo. Every year thousands of dogs are mutilated – ears
and legs are cut off, stomachs and thighs are burned with
acid, etc. – by people trying to get the tattoo off of the
animal. Recently, we received a call from a veterinarian
who was treating a dog because someone was trying to get a
tattoo off a dog’s ear with acid and the acid got into the
brain of the dog.
Pet’s weight:
Be sure and list the
accurate weight of your pet. If you aren't positive, but
you know the approximate weight within a few pounds, write
the word "approximately" before or after listing the
weight. If you don't even know the approximate weight,
don't list it at all on the poster.
Missing from:
List the major crossroads, city and state from which your
pet became missing. Never list your home address on the
poster. If you know or suspect your pet was stolen or
removed from the area in a vehicle, just list the city and
state. You may also want to put a statement such as:
“Precious may have been removed from the area ~ we are
initiating an extensive search for her.” This will help
people understand why you are placing posters so far away.
Date missing:
List the date your pet became missing.
If it has been missing for several months, still put the
date it became missing. Someone may equate the date to when
a neighbor or friend acquired a dog. But do put a print
date on the poster – such as poster printed on August 14,
2007 near the missing date.
Sightings
The sightings you receive may test your
patience! If your dog is large, you may receive calls about
small dogs. If your dog is brown, you may receive calls
about black and white dogs. If you are missing a Persian
cat, you may receive calls about Tabby cats. Have patience
and take courage knowing that people are seeing your posters
and caring enough to call. During the last four years, we
have learned that large, small, black, white--it's all a
matter of perspective. What is large to one may seem small
to another. People even view colors differently. The best
tactic is to check out all sightings unless you are
absolutely certain it is not your pet. Don’t assume
anything! And, “when in doubt, check it out!” We have had
pet owners choose not to check out a sighting only to find
out weeks later that it was indeed their pet. Don't let
this tragedy happen to you.
You may receive numerous sighting reports
especially if your pet is of a popular breed like a Husky,
German Shepherd, Black or Yellow Lab. Many of our clients
had to go on 40, 50, 60 or even 70 sightings before locating
their pet. Stay the course—persistence pays off.
Sex of pet:
Many times people have reported finding a
dog or cat of one sex, but when the pet’s family or one of
our caseworkers checked it out--it was the opposite sex.
Some people will admit that they can’t tell what sex the
animal is or that they do not want to check.
Neutered or spayed:
Don't take someone's word whether a dog or cat has been
neutered or spayed; it is difficult for some people to judge
this. Consequently, many individuals just guess. Also keep
in mind that your pet may have been spayed or neutered from
the time it became missing until it was found. Therefore,
you cannot fully rely on the accuracy of each report. It is
always best to check it out yourself.
Dew-claws and De-clawed:
These two
id marks need to be checked out thoroughly. Many
individuals who intend to keep a pet they find may de-claw a
cat or remove the dew--claws from a dog. Later, they may
change their mind and give the pet away or let it go.
Therefore, don't neglect to go on a sighting based on this
id mark.
Age:
Age is another difficult
factor to determine. Even veterinarians calling about a
missing pet may judge the age incorrectly. One vet reported
to us, a dog being very young when in actuality it was 9
years old.
Collar:
Never pass up seeing a found animal because the collar is
the wrong color or the found pet is or is not wearing a
collar. In 28% of the cases we have solved, the collar had
been changed or removed. How does this happen? Well, if
someone finds your pet and decides to keep it, one of the
first things they will do is change, remove or add a
collar. Later, they may throw your dog or cat out, give it
away or sell it because they no longer want it -- or your
pet may escape. Therefore, you need to check a sighting out
even if the description of the collar doesn't match.
For example, we received a call from some
children who found a dog in a schoolyard. They were
referring to Minnie, a Jack Russell Terrier. When we
arrived, there they all stood proud to be of help, holding a
collar with tags. When asked where the dog was, they said,
“Oh she got away, but we have the collar!” (We later found
Minnie!)
General Calls
Your posters may elicit calls from
individuals who have nothing better to do than to harass
you. They may try to upset you by going into graphic and
gruesome details about how they found your pet dead. Some
may call to give you a false lead. They may give you a
location they saw your pet at and then they wait there to
watch you run around looking for your pet. You may receive
obscene phone calls from individuals simply looking to get a
reaction from you. As difficult as it is, don’t allow them
to get the best of you. Stay very calm – even talk with
them for a moment before hanging up. This will dissuade
them from calling again, because they know they did not
upset you.
Others may
call to say that you are one of the leading causes of
littering in the country because you have put out posters on
your missing pet. Still others may call to ask when the
posters will be coming down. The best response to these
types of calls is to say that you can appreciate how they
feel and you will certainly remove the posters when your pet
is home. Thank them for taking the time to look at your
poster and ask them to call again if they see your pet.
Expect to receive calls from individuals
who want to offer support or give advice.
Taking a
moment to listen may pay off by soliciting support from
them. At times, we have actually gained useful information
regarding the area the pet became missing from or about a
lost pet case they may have solved previously. They may
know the people in the area that are into rescuing and
finding home for animals or who take in a large number of
cats and dogs they believe nobody wants.
Some people
call because they want to give you a dog or cat to replace
yours. These calls used to upset me, then I realized these
individuals just want a good home for a pet they love but
can no longer keep. They know you must love animals since
you are putting so much effort into finding your missing
pet.
Once again,
have patience and be encouraged that people are noticing the
posters and are caring enough to call. |
