IMPORTANT INFORMATION

[Amanda J. Houstoun]

I received the following from the Kennel Club today and thought it would be useful to all of us.

As a dog owner you should do all you can to ensure that you and your dog are not parted through loss or theft and it is vitally important that you know what to do if the worst happens.  Never leave your dog unattended in the garden if going out of the house and never leave it in your vehicle or tied up in a public place whilst shopping.  Until properly trained in recall, do not let it off the lead until you are absolutely sure that it will return to you when called and not run off.  If your dog is microchipped, retain the relevant identification number close at hand, or even on your mobile phone, accompanied by contact details for Petlog and your local vet and dog warden.

Tips for all dog owners to consider:

*  Search your neighbourhood immediately, leaving the description of your dog and your name and phone number with as many people as possible.  Remember to ask mailmen and paper delivery service personnel if they have seen your dog.

* Make posters/flyers and lots of them!  Place them on telegraph poles, street light poles, in pet shops, vets, supermarkets, restaurants, local stores and post offices.  For outdoor flyers you may want to place them in plastic sheet protectors.

* Visit your local welfare centre.  Ensure you look into each enclosure, as records are not always accurate.

* Advertise in the 'Lost' section of your local newspaper and be sure to read the 'Found' ads.

* Call radio stations that announce lost and found pets.

* Visit lost and found pet websites.

* Take a photograph of your dog every few months to ensure it will be recognisable on posters if it does stray.

* Dogs are not always predictable and can stray for long distances.  Look everywhere and tell everyone.

* Some useful numbers to call if you lose a dog are: your local welfare centre, vet, neighbour, police, dog warden and of course Petlog - 0870 606 6751.

If you find a dog:

* Local authorities have responsibility for dealing with stray dogs and they are required to employ dog wardens to collect any dog believed to be a stray.  If a stray dog is located outside of office hours, it will be taken to the local police station where they will usually hold the animal until the dog warden can be contacted.

* If the dog is microchipped the police or the dog warden service will have access to the Petlog database and will search for the details so that they can return the dog to its rightful owner as soon as possible.

* The Environmental Protection Act 1990 requires the finder of a stray dog to return the dog to its owner, or contact the local authority (dog warden service) to report it and have it collected, or to take the dog to the police station nearest to where the dog was found.

The Kennel Club provides information and advice on a range of topics.  There is a collection of information guides available from the Kennel Club Website, www.the-kennel-club.org.uk

Let's hope all our dogs remain safely with us  
Amanda

[little nell]

LOST DOGS- WHAT CAN YOU DO? WHAT CAN I DO IF I'VE LOST MY DOG?

The first thing to do is contact Petlog. We are on hand 24 hours a day, all year round and can give you advice on the best course of action for your individual needs. If you are part of Petlog Premium you can mark your dog missing via SMS text or our website. Petlog Premium customers will also have a lot of their work done for them. We will send a Lost Pet Alert to authorised agents in a 30 mile radius of the last sighting of your lost dog and you can download a Lost Pet Poster from our website for distribution in the area. You will also be added to our lost pet page.

Search your neighbourhood, leaving a description of your dog (or the Lost Pet Poster) with as many people as possible. Remember to ask any professionals that would cover a large area, such as your postman, or refuse collectors.

Call your local vet to advise them, and the environmental section of your local council for the animal wardens. If you know of any kennels in the area, call them and leave your number so they can call you if a dog is brought into them. Please be aware that the police are no longer obliged to handle stray dogs so do not expect them to act on a missing dog call, however you can ask for advice or a contact number.

Make Lost Pet Posters and place them around the area your pet went missing. Vets, local shops, supermarkets, post offices and restaurants. As many places as possible, and make as many people as possible aware that your dog has gone missing.

Call your local radio station and ask them to put a message out, check lost pet websites and advertise in the Lost section of your local newspaper. Remember to check the Found section for any reports.

 
HOW CAN I FIND MY MISSING DOG?

It can be frustrating if you have lost your dog and can think of no way to find your dog. Here are a few tips that may help:

The person that has the strongest bond with the lost dog should walk round the usual walking areas, and the area the dog went missing with a leash, some treats and maybe the dog's favourite toy. Also if the lost dog is used to a companion dog, such as a sibling, make sure to bring the companion dog along on a leash. The scents of all these things may bring your lost dog back to you.

Always assume that your lost dog is nearby when you are walking around and talk to them with recognised phrases and a re-assuring tone. Do not scream your lost dogs name as this may make them think they have done something wrong and can scare them off.

At night, place something that your dog would be very familiar with outside your home. The scent this gives off may be enough to bring your lost dog back.

 
WHAT ABOUT STOLEN DOGS?

Stolen Dogs are treated much the same as missing dogs, as unless it can be proved that it was stolen the chances are the dog could be hiding, escaped or with a neighbour or friend. If you are certain that your dog has been stolen you will need to report this as a crime to your local police station. If there are any other items stolen, or any property damage they can deal with this all at the same time.

They will give you a crime reference number. You can call Petlog and advise us of this number along with a contact name and number for the police station you reported the crime to. Once we have registered the dog as stolen and received confirmation of this in writing we shall place a password onto your microchip account for further security. If you go into the police station to report it also hand them a poster or photo of your stolen dog.

If you are on any of the major social networking sites, place a photo and description of your dog on the sites to make as many people aware as you can.

If your dog has been microchipped, your details will remain on the microchip so you can be sure of being re-united with your dog if it is handed in to any welfare or re-homing centres. Please be aware however, if a dog is handed into a re-homing centre and they are unable to contact the owner within 7 days they can legally re-home the pet to a new owner so i is always best to contact the local centres to enquire about any new strays brought in.


UPDATED:FEB 2010
SOURCE:Kennel Club website http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/2915