TIPS FOR PREVENTING YOUR DOG FROM GETTING LOST

The other day I treated a "runaway" dog at the vet hospital. He was a Golden Retriever named Copper. Copper's owners had always allowed him to spend time outside in their yard which is fenced in. But on this particular afternoon, Copper had somehow managed to open the latch on the gate.

Several days passed before Copper came home. He had been hit by a car and was badly injured, but at least he had found his way back to his loving family.

When dogs run off, most of them don't make it back home. Copper was one of the lucky few.

Less than 17% of all "lost" dogs are reunited with their owners. That is a really scary number. Especially considering how easily this could happen. It only takes a split second.

This is why I feel that it is absolutely necessary for every dog to wear an ID Tag. I really believe this is one of the most important things you can do for your pet.

Today, I'd like to give you a few quick tips to help you find a missing pet. But more importantly, I'm also going to tell you what you can do to prevent this from ever happening to you and your precious pet.

If your pet is lost:

Search the area. Talk to the neighbors and passersby.
Walk or drive through the area several times daily. Early morning and evening are the best times to look for a lost pet.
Hand out a recent photograph of your pet and information on how you can be reached.
Post signs in the neighborhood with your pet's description, a photo, your phone number and information about ID tags.
Put signs in grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices and other high traffic locations.
Place advertisements in newspapers and with radio stations. Include your pet's sex, age, weight, breed, color and special markings.
The Internet may be helpful in tracking down a lost pet, although its search is wide and random.
Here's something that can really help get your pet back home to you. The IDTag.com Pet ID Tag ... it's like an "Amber Alert" for pets. If your pet is lost, they will immediately notify humane societies and shelters within a 50-mile radius, and post a missing pet alert to websites that help find lost pets. This is one of the best pet protection programs I've ever seen.
Prevent your dog from ever getting lost!

Don't leave your dog outside when you're gone for long periods of time.
If you are gone for a long time, leave your dog with a responsible person or get a house sitter.
Jot down the numbers from your pet's rabies tag, write your phone number on his tag, and take a good photo of your pet.
Consider having a computer microchip implanted under your pet's skin. Shelters and veterinary hospitals use microchips to identify lost animals and reunite them with their owners.
Every pet should have an ID tag. If your dog were to ever get loose, like Copper did, an ID tag is his best chance of being reunited with you. I recommend the IDTag.com Pet ID Tag . It has some very nice features including a toll-free hotline for owners of lost pets and the people who find them ... and the hotline is there for you 24 hours a day, 356 days a year. They will also notify all shelters within a 50-mile radius, which can really increase your chances of being reunited with your dog.
One of the BEST ways to help bring a lost pet back home to you is to protect him with proper identification ... on his collar, an ID tag, or with a microchip.

I hope this information will help keep your dog safe.