If you have lost a dog, the first thing to do is contact your local dog warden (check your local council website for details), and also phone vets, police, and local rescue shelters.
If your dog has been found and isn’t identified straight away, it will be sent to a dog pound that is run or funded by your local council. Check the arrangements for your area (council website again).
Collars do get lost and even microchips are sometimes not correctly detected, so don’t rely on these. If at all possible, go to the pound and check the dogs there yourself. It’s not unknown for a dog to be mis-identified or wrongly described at a busy pound – if your dog is accidentally labeled ‘GSD x’ and you phone up looking for a collie, you might never know he is there.
If you have lost a cat also try vets, police and local rescue centers. Your local council should be able to tell you if a dead cat has been picked up by their road clearing teams, if the worst has happened. Put up posters to tell your neighbours you are looking, and you may also want to try putting notes through doors and asking everyone to check their garages, sheds, and even lofts.
These Sites & Services may help you:
Cats Protection Many Cats Protection branches keep details of missing cats in their local area.
Dog Lost – Helping Reunite Dogs with their Owners – loads of resources and support and forums
Alfie’s Lost Terriers – Get help with finding a lost dog (not just terriers!), rescue and chat forum.
Lurcher Search
Theft of lurchers and running dogs for breeding purposes and illegal coursing is a real problem. Lurcher Search is a group of volunteers whose aim is to reunite lost and stolen lurchers and other dogs with their owners. This scheme works through a network of countrywide contacts, both on the telephone and via the Internet, who receive information about lost and stolen dogs and then circulate the details to the police, dog wardens, rescue centres etc. In this way there is a better chance that a lost dog will be recognised.
Battersea Lost Dogs and Cats Line is a special service for owners that have lost their dog or cat, or have found a dog or cat, within the M25 area. The service is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm.
PETSAR – if you are in Wiltshire, contact PETSAR (Pet Search & Rescue) for help and advice.