It’s one of the most frightening moments when you realize that you can’t find your dog. You start off frustrated and annoyed that ‘Sparky’ isn’t responding to your calls, but that quickly turns into panic as you roam the neighborhood. As careful as we all are, it can happen to the best of us.

For me, it was my mother-in-law’s little Poodle ‘Sophie’ who disappeared. We were taking care of her for a week and she had been at our home many times. This particular day was a snowy wonderland but we had a fenced yard, and four other dogs at the time, so there wasn’t much concern for her safety when they were let out that morning. The other dogs all came in from the yard, but not Sophie. After much calling and searching, it sank in that she was missing. The next step was to be calm and decide systematically what to do. Panic would not help our cause.

What to do
The first thing was to make up a flyer alerting everyone to keep an eye out for her. We could then have someone on the phone, calling vet clinics and shelters and gathering fax numbers so we could send them the flyer with her description and contact information. Unfortunately, our flyer did not include Sophie’s photo, as we were the babysitters. To be prepared for this type of emergency, be sure every caregiver has a current, clear photo of all your pets.

We then set off on foot to get the flyers taped to trees and posts in our area. As we were in a snowstorm, we put the flyers into plastic sleeves.

We also spoke to as many people as we could find and knocked on our neighbours’ doors. It’s important to ask your neighbours to look in their sheds, garages and under their decks, or ask if you may look yourself. Many dogs become nervous when out of their own comfort zone, so might hide away, waiting to be found, and don’t always come when called. Be sure to take some treats and a leash when you go searching. If your dog is upset, he may react differently when you approach.

If you’re not having any success in your search, you will need to enlist friends and family to help check all the nooks and crannies again. Visit all the local animal shelters and put an ad in the newspapers to get the word out.

Recruiting the kids in your area is a great idea. Offer them a small reward. Kids are out and about, and seem to notice anything out of the norm. They usually know all the dogs around, and have the time to help. They will turn finding your dog into a mission.

Keep up the search
Years ago I had a terrier that got loose and was missing for days. It was hard to keep up the search with a broken heart. My best friend kept looking and after five days she found him. A nice neighbour down the street had taken him in and had called the humane society to say they had him at home, rather than taking him to the shelter. When my friend called the shelters, they had him on file, and gave out the neighbour’s contact info. For my neighbour, returning the dog was bittersweet as they had become quite attached to him, but for me, the joy of finding him after so long was overwhelming.

While most dogs go missing in search of great adventure outside their yard, others are taken. Having your dog accompany you on daily errands can be great, but never leave him tied outside a store by himself. You won’t forgive yourself if you come out with a bag of groceries to find that your dog has been taken. Besides, sitting alone outside a store makes a dog vulnerable – at risk of being given treats, or bothered. It’s not worth it.

Preventive measures
To help keep your dog safe, put all the safety measures in place. Make sure your yard is escape-proof; if little spaces need to be filled in, don’t delay. Teach your dog to respect all doors. No dog should be allowed to bolt out a door, even to a fenced area. Teach him to sit while the door is being opened, and to not go out until you give him a release.

Your dog should have both a microchip and a visible tag. If he doesn’t have a microchip, ask your vet for the details. If your dog slips out of his collar, he can still be identified by his microchip. The downside is that your dog has to be taken into a clinic or shelter to be scanned. However, the chip number will then be called into a database and your dog’s contact information will be accessible.

Your dog should also wear a visible tag at all times – not just his rabies tag and licence, but a tag with your contact information. If you’re going away and taking your dog with you, go to a tag kiosk (located in many pet stores), have a new tag made for your new location and attach it to your dog’s collar for the duration of your holiday. If you change cell phones, get a new tag made to reflect the new number.

Make sure your dog is wearing his collar and tag at all times, even if you walk him with a harness or halter, and that his collar is an appropriate size so he can’t slip out of it. The exception is dogs that spend time alone outdoors. Their collars should slip off if the dog gets caught in the brush.

And Sophie? We searched and searched, called around and searched again. It was puzzling that she had even managed to get out of the yard. Lo and behold, three days later, she was sitting on our deck looking just a bit hungry. She had managed to make herself a little bed under our deck and to the best of our knowledge must have been too afraid in the storm to come out. We had looked under there many times, but she had squeezed into an area that was not visible. So, there she was, safe and sound, and back to us before her owner returned from holiday. A happy ending.

Click here for Gillian Ridgeway’s bio

(Originally appeared our October 2006 issue)