July is Lost Pet Prevention Month. Now, I know that July is coming to an end and that I’m pretty late to the game, but that doesn’t mean that a conversation that helps prevent pets from getting lost needs to stop. In fact, it should be just the opposite! We should talk about it all year long because this issue is a big one and it hits many people very close to home.
According to the National Council of Pet Population Study & Policy and the National Humane Society, a family pet is lost every two seconds in North America. That equates to more than 10 million pets getting lost each year and one out of three pets getting lost during his or her lifetime.
Despite so many pets finding themselves away from home, only one in 10 pets is ever found and reunited with his or her family.
Have you ever seen a missing dog poster before? Did you know what you could do to try to help reunite the lost dog with his or her family?
Are you prepared for if one of your very own pets go missing?
Better yet, do you know what steps you can take to prevent losing your pet altogether?
Lost Pet Prevention Month, which was established in 2014 by PetHub, aims to help answer all of these questions and more. Pet bloggers and pet brands alike have been uniting all month long to help make sure you and all your pet loving friends are prepared for the worst and possibly even prevent it from happening.
Start by making sure your pet has many different types of identification from a microchip, to a license, to external tags, and even digital tags like PetHub’s Signal Tag. This way if one fails or falls off, you have a few backups that can help get your furry friend home soon.
Keep a copy of your pet’s record including ownership information easily accessible. This can help with any health issues and help avoid any confusion about if your pet truly dogs belong to you. Unfortunately this is especially important in the case of pet theft, which sadly does happen.
When you are on the go it is important to keep your pets secured and use the right equipment for them. Thorough training and frequently practiced commands can only be helpful for keeping your pet safe, so keep those up even when you are feeling a bit lazy.
The American Humane Association estimated that 34% of pet owners take their dogs along on family vacations. I love to go on pet friendly vacations with Luna and I’m usually pretty bummed out if she can’t come along. But, did you know that taking your dogs along on travel can be dangerous if you aren’t prepared?
Life with Beagle reminds us that is always a good idea to practice safety for your summer (or any) road trip before you go!
GoPetFriendly.com has a great video full of tips to help keep your pets from getting lost on your next road trip.
Before you head out on your pet friendly trip be sure to take necessary precautions and if you pet goes missing be ready with a Lost Pet Tool Kit. Plus, it’s never a bad idea to fresh up your first aid skills for pets and pack a portable first aid kit.
To help find your missing pet, try many different methods to help get the word out. Physical posters at intersections and online posting sites are great options. I also absolutely love the creative idea of tagging your car with contact information. And why not your friends’ and family members’ cars too?
If you find a lost dog, you might not know what to do right away. I know I’ve been in a situation where I had no idea what to do and didn’t know how I could help because I wasn’t at all prepared.
The first step is to examine the lost dog’s physical appearance and characteristics. Keep an eye out for tags or other forms of identification. Note any distinguishing marks and possible injuries that may require medical attention.
After that there are numerous possible paths you can take. You may be able to contact the owners or a service like PetHub to help reunite the pet with his or her family. You might need to take a trip to the vet for health issues or to scan for a microchip. Or, you might just need to work at helping the lost pup calm down. Fortunately, Fidose of Reality has some ideas to help us navigate this stressful situation.
Now here is to a world where fewer pets get lost and more pets find their ways home!
Have you ever helped a lost pet find his or her way home?
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