There is hardly anything more frightening than realizing your dog has gone missing! Whether he has run down the road to investigate some unfamiliar scents, or has gone missing on a nature hike, the panic and distress is overwhelming.
In support of people going through these emotions, the Lost Dogs of America organization has created Lost Dog Awareness Day, which falls on April 23rd, 2019. Lost Dogs of America is an organization whose exclusive purpose is to provide free services to help reunite families with their lost dogs. The purpose of this special day is to raise awareness of all the missing dogs in North America and to help reunite people with their missing pets. It also serves to celebrate the many successful reunions of dogs with their owners.
Lost Dogs of America is an all-volunteer organization. The volunteers work tirelessly to help people maintain their hope of finding their missing pets and want to remind people that “not all stray dogs are homeless”[1]. If you find a stray dog it is important to check to see if the dog is wearing a collar. The collar will, hopefully, have an identification tag, a pet licence tag, and a microchip tag, three important pieces of information that will help to quickly reunite the dog with his owner. Tags affixed to the collar may also offer helpful information such as what to do or who to contact if your dog goes missing, or if someone finds your dog wandering on his own. Move Your Doggie requires that all dogs in our care are licenced and wearing both their Rabies and Pet Licence tags at all times.
Finally, here are some helpful tips to make sure your dog is always safe:
The Ontario SPCA recommends microchipping your dog so he can be identified and traced back to the owner when located. Click here for more information about microchipping your dog.
It is always a good idea to make a personalized tag with your contact information to attach to your dog’s collar or harness. This way you can be contacted right away should your dog be located.
Never let your dog off the leash in a public area (unless it is a fenced in dog park), for two reasons:
1) City By-Laws require dogs to be on a leash when off their property.
2) The risk and the danger is too high if your dog becomes distracted (squirrel!!) and runs off.
There are many organizations dedicated to reuniting pet owners with their pets and it is often helpful to join a local Facebook group so you can help in the search for missing dogs and have a place to receive support should your dog go missing. Team Chelsea is an organization in Durham Region that helps to locate and reunite lost dogs with their owners. Check out their Facebook page here.
Remember to always keep an eye out for dogs wandering alone as you could help to reunite a dog with his owner.
We at Move your Doggie would like to send our support to all the people who have lost pets and we wish you a successful reunion.
For more information and to book your complimentary meet and greet please visit our Contact Us page. Also, please feel free to leave a comment below.