Lost Your Pet?
What to do to help them find their way home
Did your pet make an escape? Don’t panic, here’s what you can do to help bring your pet home where they belong.
Make color posters to both hang up in your neighborhood and distribute online right away. You need to keep it simple: a current and clear picture of your pet, description (size, age, color, breed), your name and contact information (email and phone number is best), and where the cat was lost (not just cross streets but city and state since online posts can travel far and wide!).
Call your local animal control, veterinarians, police department, and rescues, and make sure you either drop off or send them your poster as well so they have a visual reference. If you pet isn’t home in a few days, call again, and keep calling and checking! Many pets go missing every day, and it’s difficult for groups and offices to keep up on them all.
If you live local, DuPage County Animal Services has a lost pet report online here: https://www.dupageco.org/AnimalServices/1138/
Search your neighborhood, and leave mini versions of your poster in your neighbor’s mailboxes.
If your pet is already microchipped, call the microchip company to set your pet’s status to lost. This way, if someone finds your pet, they can track it back to you faster.
Look up local social media groups for lost/found pets and post your information there as well. In Illinois, there are several Facebook groups. Just to name a few: Lost Cats of DuPage County Illinois, Lost Cats & Dogs Illinois, Lost Cats Illinois. Also consider checking out and posting on your local NextDoor app, Instagram, and any other social media outlets you participate in.
Don’t give up hope, don’t stop reposting, and don’t stop calling local places where stray animals might be brought!
Check out these links for more specific information:
https://www.petfinder.com/cats/lost-and-found-cats/lost-pet/
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/what-do-if-you-lose-your-pet
One of the most surefire ways to ensure your pet comes home is to have it microchipped, and to make sure your information is on it and current! To get your pet microchipped, check out Spay Illinois, DuPage County Animal Services, or call your regular veterinarian.
