"Pet Theft: “B” Dealers and Bunchers" by Last Chance for Animals

Pet Theft: “B” Dealers and Bunchers

From the Website: 

Last Chance for Animals/Dealing Dogs 

http://www.dealingdogs.com

Nearly two million companion animals are stolen each year. Many of these animals are sold to research laboratories, dog-fighting rings or puppy mills, where they are abused and often killed.

Many of these pets find their way to research laboratories through USDA licensed Class “B” animal dealers. For a $10 fee, anyone can apply for a USDA Class “B” dealer license.

Class “B” dealers obtain animals from state, county or city owned and operated animal pounds or shelter, (this is called pound seizure), other USDA licensed “B” dealers and various random sources. However, “B” dealers also obtain animals from “bunchers." 

Bunchers fraudulently obtain animals through “free to good home” ads, preying on unsuspecting people who can no longer care for their companions. They make promises of a good home and tender care, only to turn around and sell the animals, sometimes the same day, to Class “B” dealers. In attempts to gather as many animals as possible for sale to research institutions, bunchers also frequently steal family pets directly from their owners.

Laws Don’t Protect Our Companion Animals

Currently, the only piece of legislation standing between family pets and the unscrupulous “B” dealers who sell them to be tortured in research facilities is the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). Enacted in 1966, the AWA requires that minimum standards of care and treatment be provided for most warm-blooded animals bred for commercial sale, used in research, transported commercially or exhibited to the public. Unfortunately, the enforcement of the AWA is completely inadequate and millions of family pets have ended up in research facilities as a result.

Class “B” dealers have been shown to regularly and willingly do everything in their power to ensure family pets are sold to be tortured in research laboratories. The monetary incentives associated with selling lost and stolen family pets motivate “B” dealers to violate countless laws. Records are falsified, evidence of ownership, such as dog tags, are purposefully destroyed and no attempt is made to reunite microchipped animals with their families. Instead, these companion animals are kept in often squalid conditions before being sold for use in experimentation.But underneath his battered work clothes, “Pete” was secretly documenting the atrocities at Baird’s facilities. Using a tiny microphone and videotaping device, “Pete” acquired more than 70 hours of video surveillance. An overwhelming amount of animal cruelty, abuse, neglect, and unsanitary conditions were exposed. 

 The enforcement of the AWA is the responsibility of the Animal Care division of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), which is a part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Government documents show the laws of the AWA severely lack enforcement and APHIS is unable to ensure animals are well cared for. Additionally, violators who are penalized for their infringements consider monetary penalties an accepted cost of conducting business, rather than a disincentive for violating existing laws. As a result, violations of the AWA, including the falsification of records -- the only current way to ensure that family pets do not enter the research animal trade -- continue undeterred.

"About Pet Theft" By Last Chance For Animals

About Pet Theft

From the Website: 

Last Chance for Animals/Dealing Dogs 

http://www.dealingdogs.com

The USDA and Class "B" Dealers
The United States Department of Agriculture licenses animal dealers; anyone selling animals to laboratories (or selling more than 24 dogs or cats per year at the wholesale level) must be licensed. Class "A" dealers maintain their own breeding colonies while Class "B" dealers obtain animals from "random sources." For a $10 fee, anyone can apply for a USDA Class "B" dealer license. The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) inspectors are responsible for making certain that the dealer's records are current and complete, and for ensuring the health and safety of the animals. Unfortunately, the USDA has not made the latter a priority, for there is a shortage of inspectors and enforcement of existing regulations is weak. Consequently, many of the people involved in the sale of stolen animals are licensed by the federal government.

Where do "Random Source" Animals Come From?
Many are stolen from backyards, others are obtained through "free to good home" ads. "B" dealers prey on these unsuspecting people who can no longer care for their companions. "Bunchers" acquire animals for free by making fraudulent promises of a good home and tender care, then sell the animals, sometimes the same day, to Class "B" dealers. Most will be sold to research facilities, many of which are funded by tax dollars. Researchers prefer to experiment on pets and other animals that have lived with people because they tend to be docile, accustomed to people and easy to handle.

LCA Busts Largest and Most Notorious "B" Dealer
In 2002, Last Chance for Animals sent an undercover investigator into Martin Creek Kennels, a facility run by Class "B" dealer C.C. Baird. As a result of LCA’s undercover investigation, in March 2004, the USDA/APHIS filed a 108-page complaint against Baird, consisting of hundreds of violations of the Animal Welfare Act. In 2006, he was subsequently charged with felony mail fraud and was put out of business -- PERMANENTLY. You can read more about the C.C. Baird case here.

Debuting in 2006 and airing frequently on HBO, Dealing Dogs has educated millions of people about the danger of pet theft and even spurred two U.S. Representatives to introduce vital legislation (The Pet Safety and Protection Act) in the House to combat the problem of pet theft. Dealing Dogs will be used again in 2007 to help introduce and finally pass the Pet Safety and Protection Act through the new congress.

Dealing Dogs is now available to rent through many major rental houses, including Netflix and Blockbuster, and is available for purchase through Last Chance for Animals here.

What is "Pound Seizure?"
Pound seizure, in which animals who arrive at the pound are turned over to laboratories for experimentation on demand if they are not reclaimed by their guardian or adopted out, is still in effect in some animal shelters. Some pounds therefore must sell (or choose to sell) animals to Class "B" dealers or research facilities. Read more about pound seizure here.

Using a Pet Detective to Find Your Lost Pet

Using a Pet Detective to Find Your Lost Pet

Your pet is missing and you are looking into using a Pet Detective service to help find your lost pet. There are a wide variety of services offered, depending on cost and what your needs are. Some people offer tracking services with a trained tracking dog, and other services that pet detectives offer are flyer creation and distribution, shelter checks, creating posters and placing in appropriate areas, trapping assistance and profiling of the lost pet to determine where they might be.

Each person doing work as a Pet Detective will offer different work and training styles and will also offer different services. 

Some pet detectives  specialize in only specific types of animal like dogs, cats or small animals or livestock, and some only work to find deceased animals. For a person who does offer tracking dog services, there are two different types of scent work that could be offered: Tracking and Detection. 

Scent Specific Tracking is where the dog is shown an article that belongs to the missing animal like a bed, blanket, toy, carrier, clothing, collar, harness, etc. The dog is shown that article at the location where the animal was last seen or escaped from. Then the scent dog follows the scent track until the dog is told to stop. The dog follows only that specific scent and nothing else. 

There is a wide range of beliefs how long of a track a dog can follow and how old the track can be. Some believe that a dog can only follow a track a few hours old and others believe a dog can follow a track much longer and much older. I personally have seen and believe that a dog can follow any track they are trained to do. With previous training and experience and practice, I have seen a dog follow a track up to a month old. 

Detection is when the dog is looking only for a specific item like a cat or a human or an object, but it is not tracking. This is when the dog looks for any cat or any dog or any human, not a specific one. The dog can also be trained to look for deceased animals. Many dogs are skilled and trained in both detection, both live and deceased animals, and tracking. 

There is a wide range of backgrounds of the types of people who do work as pet detectives.  Some people come from human Search and Rescue (SAR) and remain in that field, doing both pet detective work and human search and rescue. Some people come from Police departments as K9 Handlers, working either live people cases or deceased bodies since their dogs will specialize in one or the other.  Many people who do this type of work have a background in dog training, both competition training, and/or pet dog training. This type of experience and skill is very handy since we all have to train our own dogs to do this work since no one person specializes in this training.  In addition, many people have experience and knowledge in animal shelters, both as a volunteer and working staff members. 

"What is the best type of dog for this type of work?

There are a wide variety of types of dogs used for pet detective work and for a variety of reasons. Some people have favorites in breeds and tend to stay with those types when they are looking for a working dog. Some people just start using the existing dog they have at the time they start their business. 

There are some common characteristics I have seen that are necessary for a good working pet detective tracking and detection dog. For size I would suggest a medium to larger size dog so that they are capable of covering long distances at a pretty good pace since most work is done on an hourly basis. And also that size become a good deterrent when the searches lead you through less than desirable areas that have possible safety issues. 

Another important characteristic is a dog that has a friendly and outgoing temperament and can handle every stressful and demanding situation that can and does occur. This includes walking in large crowds, loose dogs that are both friendly and unfriendly, unfriendly and scared people, high, low and wet temperatures. The dog should be friendly or accepting of all strangers since they will come in contact with a wide variety of people, all wanting to say hello and to pet them, especially children who see a cute dog and a jacket and harness and want to play with the dog. 

The dog should be ball or toy crazy so that can be a great motivator  or reward in the field, both in practice and real life. This also applies to food. The dog should be super eager for food of any type, even dry kibble. I want to see in a dog who says, “How high and when?” Make the work fun for the dog with rewards that they enjoy. Maybe have a type of reward that the dog only sees on searches. For example, I bring peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Gatorade drink on searches, and Dino never gets these any other time. Those are his special treat and reward for working on searches. 

I have found that there are two key things that will determine if a dog becomes a pet detective tracking dog. First: Does the dog have an athletic body and structure that can enable the dog to  literally cover 10 to 15 miles in a day with barely getting tired? An athletic build with the ability to work long hours over a variety of terrains is best for this type of work. That means that any mixes or purebreds from any of these groups can do the work with the proper training: Scentxounds, Retrievers, Herding, Terriers

However, any dogs from these groups would not be good candidates due to their lack of built-in athletic ability and low motivation due to their Sedate lifestyle. Companion dogs like Pugs, Pekinese, Poms and any dog with shortened nose which limits/restricts breathing, combined with short legs and dwarf bodies, would not have the sustainability to do long term tracking, despite their basic ability and desire to track. Dogs with heavy, thick coats like Australian Shepherds can do the work but they will need extra care in the heat with the use of cooling jackets.

All dogs can track!

All dogs have the capability to track, despite what many tracking enthusiasts think. The difference is in the dog’s individual motivation and athletic abilities. Generally any dog or mix from any of the above groups have the amount of drive and physical capability track.Many searches in a single day ca be several hours long and can cover 10 to 15 miles easily over a variety of terrains from urban sideways and streets to mountain trails and bushes.

“Are Bloodhounds as great at tracking as everyone is told.”

There are many myths in the tracking world. One of the most commonly held beliefs is that Bloodhounds have a different capability or skill than another dog, but that is not the case at all. Another myth is that dogs can’t track a scent more than 24 hours old, but that is also false.

The second reason that makes a successful tracking dog for lost pets is the person holding the leash and performing all the training. I believe all dogs are born blank slates and that behavior is not genetic. The success or failure of a dog depends on the person or people in the dog’s life. In order to be successful, a dog needs to have a skilled and knowledgable trainer/handler who knows where to look for information that they many not have at this time, and who isn’t afraid to step outside their comfort zone and do something different. 

Using A Computer to Find Your Lost Pet

Using A Computer to Find Your Lost Pet

When looking for your pet, the biggest advantage you can give yourself and your pet is to make sure you use a computer to its fullest potential. Whether this is using a word processor to create your flyer, to maintaining your ad on Craigslist. 

See the blog post “Designing an Effective Lost Pet Flyer” on the mechanics of creating a flyer. There are several reasons why it is best to use a computer to create a flyer. First, it is easier, faster and less expensive to create a flyer through a printer than on a copier. Second, a computer generated flyer presents a more professional and authentic image. Third, type is easier to read that is predictable in upper and lower case, which makes the flyer easier to read. Compare this to a handwritten flyer which has inconsistent lettering. 

While I was an Administrative Assistant and doing a lot of flyers and sales marketing designs, I studied a lot about how to use white space and type to effectively get your message across. The use of upper and lower case letters and can easily change a message or tone and the specific type used can change the message. Type is divided into “Serif” or “Sans Serif.” “Sans” means “without” in Latin, and “Sarif” is “feet or hands,” San Serif font is used as titles and Serif is used as text. A type that is Sans Serif is blocky type like Helvetica, with no “hands or feet.” This type is best used for bold titles like “Lost Cat.” As a comparison, the “Serif” type has the “feet and hands” at the top and bottom of the type. An example of Serif type is Times Roman. This type is typically used for text in a paragraph since it is easier for the eyes to read and follow quickly. 

When posting ads, remember to use newspapers, both printed and online. Include a clear color if the rates are affordable. If not affordable, make the text super clear what the cat looks like with any distinguishing marks like white on feet, face or chest. 

When using Craigslist, keep the ad current by renewing the ad every day or as often as possible, and remember to use good, clear photos. Make sure the phone number used is open and watched 24 hours a day for any messages or calls. 

When creating ads, you can easily just repeat the same information that is on the flyer. There is no need to spend extra time rewriting everything when time is critical. Make the ads and the flyers all the same with the same photos, descriptions and brief information. 

When sending out flyers in emails, the flyer is attached in an electronic format and not a photocopy. This enables the flyer to get out very fast and far. Put on flyer “OK to forward” so that others knows this and don’t waste time asking. Some great places to send the flyers are vets, groomers, shelters.

When checking shelter websites like Petharbor.com, which list lost, found and adoptable dogs. Petfinder lists only adoptable animals. And then each individual shelter has their own website that lists found and adoptable animals. 

What Should You Do if Your Find or See a Lost Animal

What to do if you see an animal loose on the street

I have discovered that a person’s response to seeing an animal loose on the street is as unique as their own fingerprint or trackable scent. Some people will go out of their way to catch an animal, while others will turn around and walk away. 

One common response to seeing a loose animal on the road is to attempt to catch the animal. If somebody makes an attempt to catch an animal, there are only two possible outcomes. Either the animal is caught, or it is not. 

Here are some key tips on how to catch a loose dog on the road. Offer them really yummy food to entice them over. Their hunger at that moment might be enough to draw them to you. Raise your voice and talk to the animal in your best “baby talk” voice. Woman have an easier time with this, compared to men, but a man can still perform this successfully. Remove any hats and sunglasses, since these tend to scare animals. Bend down as low as physically possible, so you are practically on your stomach and are not intimidating. Turn your back away from the animal, and don’t stare at them directly. Look at them from the corner of your eye. A direct stare can be too intimidating and frightening. Have a leash ready with a loop in one hand to put over the dog’s head as soon as possible. You may only have one split second of a chance, so it needs to be accurate the first time. As you are trying to get the animal to come to you, hide the leash behind you to not scare the animal. Never run after the animal because this frightens the animal into thinking they are being chased. Try to get the dog to come to you by doing the above things. 

Here are some key tips on what NOT to do if you find a dog loose on the road. Never chase them or run after them. Try to get the animal to come to you by appearing non-threatening, especially if the animal is cornered. It may take several minutes for them to calm down, see the food in your hand and respond to you. Never wave or throw things at them like leashes or toys or other objects. They will think you are trying to harm them. Never rush the situation. Give the animal time to see you as a friend and to understand that you are there to help them.

If the animal is successfully caught, there are two more outcomes. You can  surrender the animal to the local shelter, or you can attempt to find the current home on your own and file a Found report with the local shelter. If you attempt to find the current home on your own, and don’t take them to the shelter, there are several ways to find them. If the animal has visible ID tags, then a person can easily call the number on the tag, and hopefully all the information is current, and the animal is quickly reunited and returned back to their current home. If the animal does not have visible ID tags, then you can have the animal scanned for a microchip. This can be done by taking the animal either to a vet or a shelter, and then can run the scanner over the dog’s body to see if there is a microchip. If there is a microchip, then the person can be contacted and the animal can be returned home. 

If the animal does not have either a microchip or ID tags, then there are other things to do to attempt to find the current home. You can check Craigslist for Lost ads in both the “Pets” and “Lost and Found” sections. You can place an ad in Craigslist for a Found animal, and you can place an ad in local and surrounding newspapers. You can also post flyers in local bulletin boards like schools, churches and stores. Animals can travel very far when lost, so it is a good idea to check surrounding communities if you have found an animal. Remember to post flyers with a clear, color photo of the animal in the local and surrounding areas, and distribute them to vets within a vicinity of at least one mile. A larger distance may be needed in rural areas where the nearest vet is several miles away. 

If somebody does respond to the ads and flyers, ask them for proof that the animal in the flyer is their pet. Commonly, you can ask for current photos or vet records. Before meeting with them to possibly return the animal to them, ask them for a phone number to call them back to confirm that their call is not a prank. 

What if you do all these things to find the current home, but nobody comes forward to reclaim the animal? I think that a good time frame to confirm that everything has been done to find the current home is about 30 days. If all the above steps are taken and followed and maintained for 30 days, and no person comes forward to claim the animal, you are free to decide what to do with that animal. You can surrender the animal to the local shelter, but they may charge you a surrender fee because they may consider the animal your’s at that point. You can keep if the animal, or you can find the animal a new home. 

There are many reasons why an animal never gets reunited with the current home, and why nobody claims all the animals in shelters or kept in people’s homes. First, the animal has been on the road and missing for a long time, and the current people have stopped looking for the animal. If an animal is on the road for longer than one week, they will typically look “abandoned” or “mistreated.” They will look thin, dirty, scared and hesitant about approaching people. A person who finds this type of animal, typically misunderstands these signs that the animal has been abandoned, and if the animal has no ID, many finders won’t attempt to find the current home because they feel they don’t want to return the animal to a neglectful home. 

Second, after becoming lost, the animal is taken into a new home, and then eventually gets loose from that home. Sometimes the old collar is removed, so now the animal is loose with no ID in an area they don’t know. The second home may not make an attempt to find the new animal, if they don’t have much of an attachment to the animal, or they feel the animal is going back to its previous home.

Third, sometimes animals are stolen from their own property, and taken far away. If they are released, get loose, or even confiscated from the person who stole them, they are now an animal that nobody knows anything about, and the old home is no longer looking for  them.

Fourth, of course, there are people who do not look for their animals when they become lost, or they make a very basic attempt, and stop shortly after the animal is lost, assuming all kinds of things like somebody has picked them up and given them a new home, or the animal will find a new home on their own. 

If somebody makes an attempt to catch the loose animal, but the animal runs and can not be confined and caught, there are three additional outcomes. Either the person makes an attempt to find the current home and relays the information to another party, or the person calls Animal Services to report the loose animal, or the person does nothing more and walks away. If the person want to do something further by helping the animal, they can search for Lost flyers in the area or place ads in Craigslist stating that they tried to help this animal and what happened and where it occurred. This is actually very helpful to the person searching for their animal because it gives them a point of reference to where their animal was last seen and whether the animal was responsive to people assisting them.

Calling Animal Services in response to a loose animal tends to vary according to the person who sees the animal, and the agencies in which the animal is loose. First, most agencies don’t respond to loose cats. The cat has to be confined in order for them to respond because, as everybody knows, it is very difficult to catch a loose and unconfined cat. Second, most agencies still respond to loose dogs, and will make a basic attempt to locate the animal. However, it is a low priority in the line up of calls if more urgent calls are waiting for a response. The other matter that affects whether Animal Services can respond to a loose dog is the time of day in which the call comes. Some larger and well-funded agencies still have an officer on duty 24 hours a day to respond to all calls. Some agencies will respond to only emergencies outside of normal business hours (typically Monday through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM) with an officer “on call,” meaning that the officer is at home with a pager, and will only respond to life threatening emergencies like animal bites, injured animals or animals causing a traffic hazard. Some agencies don’t even have an officer on duty to respond to any calls, whether they are emergencies or not, if the call comes in outside normal business hours. 

Sometimes, if the person who sees the animal just calls the local shelter and informs the dispatcher about the loose animal, the shelter staff may be aware of a particular animal of that description missing in that area, and they can pass on the sighting to the person looking for that animal.

Another response to seeing a loose animal on the road is to do nothing at all, and generally the reasoning behind this response is because they don’t see anything wrong with the situation of an animal running loose. If the animal seen running loose is a cat, then most people won’t do anything about the situation and will let the cat go about its business with no response. Loose cats are so common in most communities that there is no alarm to seeing a cat running around.

On the other hand, if the animal seen running loose is a dog, and they decide not to catch the animal at that moment, there can be a variety of reasons for their response. I have found that people from certain cultures where dogs commonly run loose in the streets, have this type of non-response. Such cultures are Latin American countries like Mexico and countries in Central America, and people from India, Asia and the Middle East, also tend to do nothing because where they come from dogs are commonly seen running loose in the streets. In addition, rabies is a very common disease in these countries, so these people have learned to stay away from so called “street dogs” that commonly carry rabies. This fear will be brought over to the United States, and it will also be transferred from the parents to their children and from generation to generation.

A person’s past history with dogs will also guide their response when they see a loose dog on the street. If that person has had a negative interaction with dogs in the past, and is, thus, afraid of dogs, they will not approach any dog they do not know, and are probably hesitant around dogs they do know. Even if the person has not had a negative experience with dogs in the past, if they learn from their parents or grandparents, because of their parent’s past negative interaction with dogs, that all dogs are to be avoided and feared, this person will also have this fear and carry it with them without ever having a negative experience with dogs. 

Another common reason why a person won’t attempt to catch a loose dog on the street is because they think the dog lives nearby, they don’t think the animal is lost, and that it is just wandering around. They may tell the dog in a harsh tone “Go home!” or “Shoo!” and the animal scurries away, so they think the animal is going home, when actually they scared the animal away.

Designing an Effective Lost Pet Flyer

Designing an Effective Lost Pet Flyer

When your pet has become lost, responding quickly and efficiently is extremely important. One of the most important tools in finding your pet is creating a well designed flyer. Here are some key points. 

At the top of the page: 

In big, bold, capital letters put "Lost Dog" or "Lost Cat" or what ever animal your pet is. Use the whole line from right to left. 

Use a good, clear, color photo of your pet: 

The best photo to pick of your pet to use on the flyer should be one that shows any unique markings such as the color of the feet, chest, tail, face, length of coat and proper size. Make sure that the background of the photo is contrasting to your pet's color. For example, if you have a dark colored pet, the background should be light and uncluttered to show the outline of your pet. Pick a photo where your pet is standing up, rather than lying down since the standing position shows the full body more accurately. If you need to put two photos to show your pet fully, you can put them side by side, horizontally on the sheet. I don't recommend putting more than two photos since that tends to clutter the sheet. Finally, the photos should be the largest single item on the page. When people see the photos, they think "Is that the pet I may have seen or may see." Make sure that no other animals or people are in the photo. It is too confusing to figure out which pet is lost, and, plus, those photos tend to hide the pet behind other things and it can be hard to tell where one pet begins or ends. 

Basic description: 

Under the photo I would put a basic description of your pet. For example, put the coat color and length, their weight, breed type and anything else to help somebody identify your pet. 

Location and Date Lost: 

I recommend putting the location your pet was last seen and any confirmed sightings. Also put the date your pet was lost. 

Phone number: 

Put a phone number that you can answer 24 hours a day. Cell phones work best if you move around a lot. If you want to put a home number, make sure it can be forwarded to a cell phone for when you are not home. Also, make sure the number has voicemail with a clear message stating your pet is lost and to leave any information about your pet and a return name and number for you to call back on. Make sure you put a note on the flyer that people can call 24 hours a day with any information at all. Many people won't call after 9 PM or before 8 AM fearing they may bother you or wake you up. You want people to call anytime with any information, including possible sightings. 

Reward: 

I recommend to people to put the word "Reward" at the bottom of each flyer. I don't recommend putting a specific amount unless you are offering a very large amount, which would be over $1,000. If you don't put a specific amount, you have the flexibility to move the amount up and down depending on your needs. If you decide to change the amount, you won't have to print up new flyers and replace the old ones. Another option is to put "Large Reward" or "Very Large Reward" and then you still have flexibility to change it as needed. 

Computer or handwritten: 

I would always advise to use a computer and a basic word processor to create your lost pet flyer rather than handwriting your flyer and using prints. First it is easier, faster and more economical to print from a computer than to use a photocopier. Second a computer generated flyer appears more professional and authentic to people who are reading it. Third, type from a word processor is easier to read than handwritten letters, which can be inconsistent in shape and style. Fourth, with a computer you will be using digital photos rather than a print of your missing pet. When a physical print is used, the image will appear muddy and unclear on the eventual flyer, which occurs when a print is photocopied over and over. 

Use a full size sheet of 8-1/2 x 11 piece of paper: 

You want the flyer to be as large as possible, yet still easy to create and economical since you may be printing up hundreds of copies. Make sure the format is "portrait" and not "landscape." This means design the flyer to be tall instead of wide. 

Use only white paper: 

Do not use any colored paper since this will distort your pet's photo and make your pet appear the color of the paper. 

The flyer should be simple, clear and uncluttered. I would not recommend putting any personal information like your full name, home address or work location or a child's name. Unfortunately, there are a lot of strange people who may target you for scams or prank calls. 

Finding Lost Pet Checklist Your Pet is Still Missing For Over a Month

Finding Lost Pet Checklist

If Your Pet is Still Missing For Over a Month

Keep:

Repeating previous steps

Shelters, ads, flyers

Extending search area out further and further like a spiral

Don’t give up

Your pet is counting on you to keep looking for them

Make sure microchip information is current if you move

Looking for a lost pet can be a very traumatic and frustrating situation, especially if initial efforts do not find your pet and your search extends into over one month.

Some common reasons why an animal may not be found after a month might be that the animal has been picked up and carried away or the animal may have traveled out of the area of the search, or the animal may be deceased and the body has not been found. 

When an animal gets loose, a common outcome is that somebody attempts to help the animal by trying to catch them. The person can be either in a car or on foot. If your pet has the type of personality where they may trust that person and go with them or hop not their car, this may allow the animal to be taken or transported away from the area. 

If the person is in a car, and that person is driving through the area, and does not live locally, they may wait until they get home or to their destination before attempting to contact the person if the pet is wearing a collar with ID. If the pet  does not have any visible ID like an ID tag, then that person won’t know who to contact, then that person may or may not know what to do or whee to look. 

From this point on, there are 100 or more scenarios that may occur. If your pet has a microchip, the finder may or many not check. Their decision depends on many things. If they really like this animal and have in the back of their mind that they may want to keep them, they can decide to not do an active search for the animal’s person. If your pet does not have a microchip, and no other ID, then they may decide that the animal is “abandoned,” “ a stray” or has an irresponsible person and that person doesn’t deserve the animal back. All of these things and more can go through this person’s mind if they find an animal without any visible ID tag. 

If your pet is still missing after one month, another common scenario would be that your pet has traveled out of the area where they are being searched for, and they are not willing to go up to a person for help. These types of animals typically will include cats without the super friendly personalities and the dogs who are shy and aloof and nervous of people. These animals can travel very long distances, sometime several miles in one day. They can be totally undetected, especially if they choose to travel at night. Even if these animals have collars with ID tags and microchips, if they choose to not approach someone and they don’t get injured or confined somewhere, they literally can travel to another county or even further. 

If your pet has not been found after one month, a third common scenario could be that they are deceased and their body has not been discovered yet. This would be more common in a rural or remote area where isolated areas and large predators exist. This could also happen in an urban or suburban area if you live near large parks with remote canyons and isolated hillsides, especially if these areas contain coyotes or bobcats or large raccoons. 

Typically in an urban area, dead bodies in the street are picked up within 24 hours by the city or animal control. However, I have also heard of small animals like cats and small dogs being disposed of by an individual in their own trash because they did not think to report it to animal control. In most cities, it is illegal to dispose of a domestic animal on your own. It is required to contact animal control for proper disposal. 

(Tell story of Sophia in San Francisco.)

Many jurisdictions also have a size requirement for all wildlife to be properly disposed of by animal control. For example, it is OK to toss a squirrel body into the trash, but anything larger must be removed by animal control. Also, since a lot of wildlife carry rabies, thee animals must be disposed of by animal control to ensure rabies is not transmitted. 

Even though your pet has been missing for more than one month, the chances of your pet’s recovery still remains very high, and the more you put the word that your pet is still missing, the better the chances that somebody will see the flyer or ad. 

Continue to search further and further away. The longer an animal is missing, the further away the search should continue. This means outside your neighborhood, outside your city, outside your county and even outside your state. See the section, “Creative Ways to Get the Word Out” for more ideas to spread the word. 

If you move during the search for your pet, make sure that your microchip information is changed. The reason why it is best to put a cell phone number on the flyer and on your pet’s information is that if you move, you can keep your existing phone number. 

The most important thing to do when searching for a lost pet is to not give up. Since we know that your pet did not get picked up and carried away by an alien ship, then we also know that your pet is still out there somewhere. As long as you maintain that your pet is missing, then when they are found, you should have little difficulty being able to redeem them at a shelter. This is especially pertinent if you pet has a microchip.