Shelter Stories: Lost Dogs-Part II

By Kristie Bulger
 
We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals." – Immanuel Kant, German philosopher
 
 The previous shelter story offered some suggestions on how to keep your dog from becoming lost. While I hope my suggestions were helpful, it is still true that sometimes accidents happen no matter how hard we try to be well prepared. So here is Part 2 of Lost Dogs. We’ll look at some advice on how to find your dog if he/she has become lost.
Let's assume your dog has a microchip and the chip information is up to date. Whatever company your dog's microchip is registered with, you need to call them right away. Let them know that your dog is missing. If he/she is turned into a shelter or taken to a vet, he/she will get scanned and the company chip will get called. If you've called the company first, then your dog is "flagged" as lost or stolen.
 
Put your dog's bed/blanket and soiled items of the owner's clothing outside the door. I hate to say it but the smellier the better. Also notify neighbors, mail carriers, and delivery drivers to be on the lookout for your pet. Report your missing dog to the shelter and non-emergency police line. Michigan has a 7 day stray hold. The shelter will take your information and keep an eye out for any stray matching your dog's description. If someone calls the shelter with info that sounds like your dog, you will be notified.
 
Put large bright colored posters up all over the area. Your poster should include: one or two clear photos, description of your dog’s breed, size, sex (spayed or neutered), when/where your dog went missing, who to contact and how to contact them and if there's a reward. Also put a large sign up in your yard that can be seen from the road. Use the same information on 8 1/2" X 11” paper to make a bunch of flyers. Put up the flyers around the neighborhood where the dog went missing. Knock on doors. Tack or tape up posters/flyers nearby, at vet clinics and shops. Plaster your area with them. Very often a lost dog is still in the neighborhood, so start there.
 
Use this poster information to do on line posts to https://www.facebook.com/For-the-Love-of-Louie-Michigan-Lost-Pet-Lookers-264553563570926 ,https://www.facebook.com/PawBoost, local lost & found pet pages, and community Facebook pages for the area. Put an ad on Craigslist lost & found and search there often. Here are links to Newaygo area lost/found FB groups:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/847578175294481
https://www.facebook.com/NewaygoCountyLostFoundPets
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1172743782901503
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1493008454076858
 
Contact https://www.facebook.com/LostPawsLLC or a local missing pet recovery team if more assistance is needed. These recovery teams are very experienced and have many resources available.
 
Never give up. Every day there are stories of dogs being reunited with owners after months and even years of being separated. Sometimes they are found hundreds or thousands of miles away from where they went missing, all because of a microchip.
 
If you find a dog, Michigan law requires you report it to your community law enforcement or animal control within 48 hours. The shelter and/or local vets will scan a found dog for a chip. Here’s a link to some very good information:https://www.lawinfo.com/resources/insurance/pet-law/michigan/if-i-find-a-stray-dog-can-i-keep-it-as-my-own.html. Finders can also help by putting up flyers of the found dog to reach families that are not on social media and who don't know to call dog control!  It doesn’t take very long for a family dog to look ragged and thin if they’ve been lost for a while. Don’t assume that a matted dog is neglected. Many lost dogs don't need a NEW home, they need to GO home.

Here’s a link to our FB page "Friends of Newaygo County Shelter” where you can see all our available animals:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/979050632140887
 The adoption fee for dogs is $90.
This fee includes spay/neuter, deworming, heartworm test, rabies & DHLPP shots, flea & tick treatment and license.
The adoption fee for cats is $65 
This fee includes spay/neuter, rabies vaccine, feline distemper combo vaccine, FIV/FELV testing, deworming and flea/tick treatment.
Newaygo County Animal Shelter
78 N. Webster
White Cloud, MI 49349
231-689-1867
Monday - Friday 11-1​
Appointments welcome and available upon request