GRR receives many calls on lost/found pets. We have provided the following information to help you keep your pets safe and help strays/foundlings find their owners.
GRR accepts dogs recognizable as Golden Retrievers into our program. We get numerous calls on found dogs. We generally ask the finding party to follow the checklist below in attempt to locate the dog's rightful owner.
IF THIS IS A FOSTER DOG, CALL THE HOTLINE IMMEDIATELY TO NOTIFY US: (512) 659-4653 so we can all help with the search.
Common scam: Someone calls collect, usually from a pay phone, saying they are a truck driver/were traveling through your area, etc. They found a dog, it sounds like yours, and they'd like to get it back to you but… They need money to take it to the vet, get it a health certificate, crate and then fly it back to you…. You believe all of this, as it sounds plausible, you are heartbroken and desperate to get Fluffy back… That's exactly what they are betting on and you throw your money away.
When searching for a lost dog WHAT TO DO ASAP , to create a flyer, hand it to pet food stores, vegetable stands, gas stations, animal control officers of surrounding towns, police department:
https://gsrne.org/faq/ scroll down to Misc. "What do I do if I Lost my Pet or Found a Pet?
https://www.teletracnavman.com/gps-fleet-tracking-education/tracking-your-dog-with-gps
The below websites are user friendly.
POST your LOST pet here as well as view the FOUND pets section on each website.
http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/us/ (select appropriate state and be sure to view the Pets Category and Lost and Found Category)
Leave food & water outside door normally used when walking the dog, as well as something with a familiar scent, such as the dog’s blanket, crate, toy, owner’s smelly shirt or used pillowcase. Try to keep items dry. Dogs may return to where they bolted from at any time, familiar place or not.
Create a FLYER with picture of dog. Post and distribute quickly (read: ASAP!)
Call the surrounding towns’ ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER (ACO) immediately, no matter what the hour. If necessary, leave a message.
You can call a town Police Department’s non-emergency number to get the name/phone number of each ACO. The ACO may be full or part-time. Some towns share, big cities may have several. Ask who picks up dogs hit by cars. Get a flyer/picture to them ASAP. They need detailed descriptions.
Next, get flyers to police dispatch, veterinarians, shelters & rescue groups, kennels, dog groomers/walkers/sitters, feed and farm & pet supply stores in area.
Visit restaurants big/small, rubbish transfer stations, or local “dumps”.
Go to doughnut shops, convenience food stores, golf courses, amusement parks, airports, senior centers, churches, libraries, fire stations, athletic fields, and junkyards.
Contact the managers of Dept. of Public Works, Highway, Parks & Recreation, School Grounds, Cable, Gas and Electric companies and give them a flyer for the employees to view.
Tape flyers on your vehicle while in area for maximum exposure & publicity
A brief ad with picture in local newspaper is helpful. See if local “free” paper will run an ad for you.
Stay “ahead” of dog & go to homes within a 3-mile radius and hand out flyers. Skip around if necessary, but cover key areas. Be sure to post at intersections, school districts and athletic fields. If you have time & helpers, the search area can be expanded immediately or on an “as needed” basis. It is better to talk to people in the area than to stuff a mailbox (not legal). Leave flyers on windshields, under flowerpots, in newspaper bins, etc. The newspaper carriers might help by giving flyers to their customers. Give flyers to people walking dogs, joggers/walkers, mail delivery trucks, FED EX, UPS, landscapers, construction crews and rubbish/recycling trucks.
Smile, be polite, courteous & always on a positive note. Go to search areas with flyers at different times throughout the day/evening. Make people aware that they are vital to successful lost dog search efforts.
Reinforce “Do Not Chase - Call US”. Tell everyone if they see flyers posted, the dog is still missing.
Callers Name
Callers Phone Number
Callers Address
At this point tell them you’ll call them right back. This way you can establish that the phone number is valid. If you have caller ID and can verify that the name and number they gave is valid, there is no need to hang up and call them back.
After calling them back, ask the following questions. Do not tell them the correct answer, even after they have given their answer. This is important because they could then have someone else call back with the right answers.
Dog’s Name/Gender/Age
Breed/Color
Long or Short Coat
Weight/Height
Identifying Marks
Scars/Injuries
Neutered or Intact
Collar/Tags
Documentation that they can provide to prove ownership: (bill of sale, vet records, city license receipt, photos)
If you believe that they own the dog, be sure to have them bring the above documentation when they come to pick up the dog. If you are not sure whether the caller owns the dog, tell them that you need to take another look at the dog and will call them back. If you are convinced that the dog is not theirs, tell them so without revealing the answers to the questions.
