Although finding a lost animal often seems to depend on luck, it is luck you can help make. There are no guarantees, but there are things people who find their pets do that make a difference.

1) Knock on doors and talk to people in the neighbourhood.

Most people walk the streets around their home and call their pet. People who knock on their neighbour's doors and ask if anyone has seen their pet instead of just calling are more likely to find it.

2) Hand out fliers with your pet's picture on them and your phone number.

Fliers need only have a clear photo of the animal and a telephone number that someone will answer or that is hooked to an answering machine.

3) Go to all the local shelters and the government agencies charged with picking up stray and lost animals and look for you, at least every other day.

Calling the animal control department or shelter on the phone is not very effective. Your pet may not yet be listed in the records at the front desk, and the way you describe your pet may not be the way a shelter describes your dog. Any animal may become dirty, matted and neglected looking very quickly, and You must visit the shelter, even if your pet was wearing tags when it was lost.

You will need to go to the shelters at least every other day. Few shelters can keep animals for more than 72 hours. Sometimes it takes more than a few days for a pet to be picked up and brought to a shelter.

Remember: combining these three things is most effective.

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