How to Report a Lost or Stolen Pet Dog

No matter how or why your dog is missing, knowing how to handle a lost or stolen dog can save precious time. Questions may abound concerning who to call and where to go when your dog is missing. Without a plan of action in place, adrenaline may lead you in the wrong direction and contribute to wasted time and effort.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper
  • Pictures
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Instructions

    • 1

      Contact the police if you believe your dog was stolen. Provide the responding officer with any details pertinent to the theft by filling out a police report. Include information related to the dog, such as breed, color, weight, name and any identifying marks. Give any known information related to the perpetrator, such as sex and estimated age, and any vehicle used in the crime to the police officer.

    • 2

      Canvas the neighborhood. Look along the streets and check with neighbors in your immediate neighborhood. Enlist the help of neighbors and ask them to search their yards and any buildings on their property. Search along any common paths you and your dog take on daily walks. Expand the search a few blocks if local searches come up empty. In the case of a pet dog lost on vacation, check with locals and other guests in the area to help get the word out.

    • 3

      Call animal shelters in the area. Provide the shelter staff with identifying information about your dog and give them your contact information. Visit the various shelters each day, if possible, to check on any new animals brought in to the shelter.

    • 4

      Create fliers and pass them out. Find a recent picture of your dog and create a missing dog flier. List any pertinent details, such as the breed, color, identifying marks and name of the missing dog. Include contact information in case someone finds the dog. Provide details of any reward associated with the safe return of the dog.

    • 5

      Place an ad in the local newspaper's lost pet section. Include the dog's identifying details, area lost, date last seen and your contact information in the ad.

    • 6

      Use technology when possible. Take advantage of social networking sites and email to get the word out about a stolen or lost dog.