Make flyers, using good, clear photos. Note any distinuishing markings or behaviors. Offer a reward, if you can, but DO NOT post how much the reward is. Be sure to note on the flyer if your dog is on any medications or needs
regular veterinary care.
- Animal shelters
- Veterinary offices
- Pet shops
- Feed stores
- Sheriff and Police departments
- Fire Departments
- Grooming shops
- Tack stores
- Libraries
- Grocery stores
- Gas and service stations
- Laundromats
- Day care centers
- Rest stops
- Video stores
- Restaurants
Give flyers to:
- Trainers...both dog and horse trainers may be willing to help.
- Farriers...if your dog is out in the country with someone, farriers can help to keep open eyes on farms and ranches that may have dogs not visible from the road.
- Schools...ask the principal of any area schools if you can give a flyer to each teacher to show the class. Kids are great at spotting dogs.
- Delivery people and agencies
- Gas and Oil Delivery
- Postal employees (post one in post office lobbies too, and ask if one can be posted at the time clocks of the employees)
- Meter Readers
- Florists
- UPS offices and delivery employees
- Road crews and construction workers
- Garbage collectors
You may want to put on your flyer a small notation that you will be picking up the flyers when your dog is found, and DO SO! This helps keep public relations on a positive note for the next person who may want to post a flyer, and may mean that your flyer stays up a bit longer. Keep rechecking
where you have posted them and post again if ecessary.
Keep a supply of flyers in your car, and give one to other dog lovers you happen to run across. Give them to anyone with a dog in their car, especially if that person has the same breed as yours. Dog lovers are happy to help an eye out for a lost or stolen dog.
Advertise in every newspaper and penny saver type paper you can. Some papers will place ads for free in papers for lost dogs.
Write letters to the editors of your local paper, and let the public know that pet theft happened in your area, and warn people to please watch their pets carefully and to report any suspicious vehicles or people to the local law enforcement agency.
Call breeders in your area and ask for their help--they can pass along the information to any local or state wide breed clubs. Send a flyer to them. If you can, find others on the web with your breed of dog, and ask a few to help spread the word. Whoever has your dog may try to breed it, and may
contact someone with a bitch or stud of that breed. Watch for the puppy ads of your breed if your dog is not found and is not spayed or neutered.
Some breeds have a page for lost dogs of that particular breed. You can also send out lost/stolen dog notices to various breed email lists, and ask that it be forwarded. (Having your dog's picture uploaded on the web can help...
build a page if you can, and make a printable flyer for your dog.) You can also hand out flyers at any nearby dog shows, and get a catalog. You might send flyers to the handlers and owners listed there.
Call radio stations and tv news stations. Give a good description of your dog, and be aware that not everyone will know what breed your dog is. You must be very clear in describing your dog. Give its age, markings, sex and
if your dog is spayed or neutered. (Hopefully your dog IS spayed or neutered!) Describe your dog's personality as well.
Contact road crews. Tell them that if they find your dog on the road, dead or injured, that you need to know about it. Not knowing is the worst part of a dog who may be dead. It is better to know, in my opinion, that your dog is dead than to wonder for the rest of your life what may have happened.
You might want to get a notebook in which you can write down all the people, numbers, shelters, etc. that you have called and sent flyers to. Your vet may have the AMVA directory from last year, and if he or she will let you have the outdated directory, you may want to send flyers to as many vets in your
area and state as you can. Check off the name of each vet as you address your envelopes. You might make a short cover letter to send along, and ask if they can share this flyer with others in their area. They may even be able to give them to their pharmaceutical delivery people to help distribute.
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