What to do when your dog is missing

1 In the first hour

Most of what helps later is easier now: the trail is fresh, neighbors are outside, and your dog may still be close.

• Search on foot from where your dog was last seen. Bring a leash, strong-smelling treats and your phone with a recent photo.
• Ask one person to stay at home with the door watched, in case your dog finds their way back.
• Call out calmly in a normal voice. Shouting can make a frightened dog hide or keep running.
• Tell every person you pass: show the photo, give your number, and ask them to call rather than chase.

2 Make the calls that matter

A microchip only helps if the registry has your current phone number. Many owners discover their details are out of date only on the day they need them.

• Call the company your microchip is registered with, confirm your phone number and ask them to mark your dog as missing.
• If you do not know the company, search the chip number in the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup (petmicrochiplookup.org).
• Call your local animal control and every shelter within a reasonable drive. Give the description, where and when your dog went missing, and the chip number.
• Call nearby vet clinics and emergency clinics: people often take an injured or found dog there first.

3 Visit shelters in person

Descriptions over the phone get lost: one person's brown terrier mix is another's shepherd mix. Stray holding periods are set locally and can be short, so do not wait for a call.

• Walk through every shelter's stray area yourself, and ask whether any dogs are housed elsewhere (medical, quarantine or foster).
• Go back every day or two. New animals arrive constantly.
• Leave a flyer with your photo and number at the front desk.

4 Put up flyers people can read from a car

• One large photo, the word LOST, one line of description and your phone number. Nothing else competes for attention.
• Post at intersections and stop signs near where your dog went missing, at vet clinics, pet supply stores and laundromats.
• Keep one identifying detail off the flyer (a scar, a marking, a tag color) so you can check a caller's story.

5 Post a report online

• Post in local lost-pet and neighborhood groups with the photo, the area (not your full address) and the date.
• Check found-pet posts in the same groups at least daily: someone may already be caring for your dog.
• Update the post when anything changes, including when your dog is home.

6 If you see your dog

Frightened dogs, even very attached ones, sometimes run from their own family. Chasing turns a short distance into a long one.

• Do not chase or call loudly. Sit or crouch side-on, avoid staring and toss treats on the ground near you.
• Let your dog come to you. Slip a leash on only once they are eating calmly beside you.
• If your dog keeps running, note the place and time and call your local shelter or a lost-dog volunteer group for help with a humane trap.

What to avoid

• Sending money to anyone before you have seen your dog in person. Reward scams target lost-pet posts.
• Stopping the shelter visits because no one has called. Keep going in person.
• Organizing a crowd to chase. More people chasing usually means a dog runs further.

Common questions

How soon should I start searching for a lost dog?

Immediately. The first hours are when your dog is most likely to be close and when neighbors saw something. Make the microchip and shelter calls the same day.

Should I offer a reward?

You can, but you do not have to. If you do, never pay anything before your dog is back with you, and do not state the amount publicly if you would rather not attract scams.

How long should I keep searching?

Keep visiting shelters and checking found-pet posts for as long as you can. Dogs are sometimes found weeks after they went missing, often some distance away.

Does a microchip find my dog?

No. A microchip is not a tracker. It is a number that a shelter or vet scans, which leads them to you only if the registry has your current contact details.