Don't wait a few days hoping he'll return on his own.

Place Food, Water and Litter Box Near Your Door as well as items with a familiar scent outside your home.



Begin looking for your pet by circling around your block, then gradually widen the circle to include neighboring areas.



Be sure to have a friend or family member wait outside your home in case your pet returns to your building doorstep.



Walk or drive (though walking is best, particularly with a lost cat), through your neighborhood several times each day. Do this particularly early in the morning and evening.



Search in the direction your pet travels with you or the direction in which he often sees you depart. For example, do you usually turn right at the end of your driveway? When you take him for a walk, which direction do you usually walk?



Check all local parks, dog runs and any of your dog's favorite places throughout town. Please read this link for more specific tips for cats and dogs: http://www.petclub.org/lost_pets.htm .
For assistance when searching for a cat: http://www.lostapet.org/missing_cat.shtml


Call the pet in the same tone of voice used at home, (especially with a cat). Tell them you have their favorite treat. "Sammy, come get a cookie!"



It is often helpful to bring along another pet,(that the lost pet likes), with you. This is especially true of Greyhounds.



Did you recently move? Your animal may be trying to find his way back to your old home! Check with the current tenants at your old home, any former neighbors, their children and ask them to keep an eye out for your lost animal. Map out a route the pet might choose to get to his old home, (territory). Leave flyers along that route. Knock on doors and leave a flyer. Tell the children! Children playing outside often spot pets in the neighborood that their parents might not.



Do not sit at home complacently waiting for someone to call you because your pet is wearing collar/tags and/or is microchipped/tattooed. Shelters are full of animals and understaffed. They may not get to your animal in time to notify you. Tags can get caught and pop off collars, as can collars get caught on a fence/bush/etc. and be pulled off. People may have tried to grab your dog/cat and accidentally pulled off the collar. Some people will remove collar/tags when turning a dog/cat into a shelter. Of course cats lose their collars. Scanners are not perfect, and neither is the person doing the scanning. Many shelters do not scan a dog/cat and even those shelters that do scan may miss where your pet was microchipped. They may not have a scanner that 'scans' your brand of chip. Shelters consistently miss tattoos.



Keep tag/chip/tattoo information in an accessible place along with current pictures of your pet. Know the procedures/policies/assistance available from the tattoo/chip registry. Inform the tattoo/chip registry immediately when you find your pet is missing.



Inform your vet immediately that the pet is lost. Remember that an animal is only held for a minumum of 3 days at the city pound, (Town Lake Animal Center), EVEN if they are brought in wearing a rabies tag!



Pets wearing current Pet Registration tags are held for a minimum of ten days (not including the day of arrival) while TLAC staff will attempt to contact the guardians. Unidentified strays are held for a minimum of three days (not including the day of arrival) with the hope that they will be claimed. [Remember! Your pet may have lost his collar!] You can purchase Pet Registration tags over the phone by calling the Lost and Found office at the Town Lake Animal Center, 972-6043. They require a current rabies identification number.