The Statistics Of Lost Pets
Did you know that a family pet is lost every 2 seconds, only 1 in 10pets are found, and 10 million plus pets are lost each year?
These statistics are sobering. It’s easy to understand why our shelters continue to be full of so many missing pets. Each day in my Facebook feed I see all the posts of lost dogs. I find this very troubling. Recently, on Nextdoor a pet was lost, and a few days later it was reported found. However, it was not a happy ending. It’s was comforting to know how loving we all are. So many people commented how sorry they were for their loss. When we lose a pet, it’s just as traumatic as losing a relative or friend, and sometimes even more so.
How It Happens
There are a variety of ways a dog becomes lost or missing.
- Theft of an unattended dog in your yard, in your car, or outside of a store.
- Loud and sudden noises can frighten dogs to run, hide, jump or dig out of a fence.
- Getting separated from their owner or caretaker during their walk.
- A broken or too-low a fence, an open or unattended door or unlocked gate.
- Traveling or vacationing in an unknown area and they wander off. Dogs can cover miles in a short amount of time.
- Intentionally displaced or released.
Lost Dog Prevention
How can you keep your dog safe and protected if they get lost?
- Crate the dog or place them in a secure room, so they won’t run out the door if you are having a party or family gatherings or during fireworks.
- Use a properly fitted collar with current identification.
- Microchip and keep the pets information current and updated. An idea would be to list your pet sitter or dog walker as another contact person to notify.
- If you have a dog, who loves to dig or a great jumper of fences you might want to use a tracking device.
- Employ a dog trainer or dog behaviorist for recall response.
- Use DNA Genotyping: a unique “paw print” of your pet’s identity.
2 Paws Up Inc Pet Sitting, Dog Walking, and Dog Training would be happy to talk more with you about this topic. We would also like to hear your story about your lost dog, and how you were reunited with your dog.
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