Lost Dog: a difficult situation that calls for keeping a cool head
You’re out on a trip with your furry friend, and suddenly, they disappear from sight. You call, whistle, but the dog is still nowhere to be found. Your heart rate is surely starting to rise, but try not to panic—often, the dog will return to the spot on its own after a few minutes. If those few minutes have already passed, try to gather some helpers to assist in the search. Your dog might respond to familiar sounds, like a whistle, the sound of your car, or a favorite squeaky toy.
Ask for help and distribute energy
If the dog got lost near your home, send one of the helpers back to see if the dog has returned there. If your dog has an address tag or is well-known in the neighborhood, it’s possible someone might bring them back home. Try to stay at the spot where the dog was lost as long as possible, so the dog can find you by scent. However, if you must leave, leave something behind that carries your scent or is familiar to the dog: a bed, toy, or blanket. In any case, contact the local police and animal shelters to check if the dog has already been brought in and provide them with your contact information. Describe your dog’s appearance, the place where they got lost, and try to remember if the dog has a tag with an up-to-date contact number. Also, check the chip registry to ensure it contains your current phone number.
Expand the search area online
If the dog hasn’t returned on their own, they’re probably confused and unsure where to go. It’s also possible they didn’t have a tag or lost it, and the person who finds them has no way to contact you – perhaps your dog’s chip isn’t registered, so even those with chip readers (veterinarians, local police, or shelters) can’t find your contact information, possibly even outside your residential area. Don’t lose hope – keep searching. Post on social media with a photo, a description of the dog, and the location where they were lost. Include specific information about the dog that might be helpful to the finder (allergies, medications, specific behaviors). In addition to your own profile, reach out to various dog-related forums, Facebook groups, or specialized websites that deal with lost and found dogs. Even today, it’s useful to put up paper posters, as they can reach people who might not be within your online reach. Post them especially in busy areas where many people pass by. Consider using the services of so-called “dog detectives” or offering a reward for the dog’s return. Contact the local authorities, and if you live in a smaller town or the outskirts of a big city, you might ask them to announce the lost dog over a public address system. Also, reach out to hunting associations, firefighters, or local veterinarians to see if they have any information about an injured dog.
Opposite scenario: If you find someone else’s dog, prioritize your own safety
If you find yourself in the opposite situation and come across a wandering dog with no apparent owner in sight, prioritize safety: yours, any passing drivers, children, or your own dogs, if they’re with you. If the dog is aggressive or too skittish to be caught, your options are limited. If possible, try to keep the dog from running away: block its path, get ahead of it, but never take unnecessary risks. Stay at the spot for about 20 minutes to see if the owner of the wandering dog shows up, but if they don’t, call the local police or the nearest shelter, as these institutions are responsible for capturing confused or aggressive animals to ensure they don’t pose a threat to the public or traffic.
Look for identification
Is the dog calm enough to let you touch them? Try to find some form of identification: especially a tag or information on the collar (this might be written on the underside). If you have your own leash, attach it to the dog so they don’t run off. If the dog has a tag with a phone number, you’re halfway there – call the owner and arrange to return the dog. It might happen that you can’t reach anyone even after several attempts. In that case, we advise waiting a little longer to see if the owner appears. If no one claims the dog after a while or if the dog doesn’t have any visible identification, you’ll need to contact the local shelter, police, or municipal office. They should take the dog from you, provide necessary care, and scan the chip to find the owner’s contact information. These are also the institutions that owners usually contact when they realize their dog is missing. If it’s a purebred dog from a breeding station, it will have a tattoo or chip, and the owner’s contact information can be found through the national cynological union (if there is any in your country). If the dog is injured, you can either take them to a vet yourself (but be aware that the vet might charge you for the treatment) or call the local police, who will take the dog for treatment, though this may take some time. Ultimately, it’s up to your judgment, but in the case of injury, it’s not worth risking it, as a dog in pain can be very aggressive. Veterinarians also have chip readers, so you can work together to find the owner’s contact information.
Take advantage of the Power of Social Media
If you’re able to care for the dog yourself and temporarily house them, you still need to report it (to a shelter, local police, or municipal office); otherwise, taking the dog could be considered theft. First, give the dog some water. Wait to feed them to see if the owner shows up within a few hours, as the dog may have food allergies. Then, it’s up to your judgment and resources to decide how to feed the dog. Then, try to find the owner using the internet: post a picture of the dog with a description of where they were found on social media, and share it on various dog-related forums or lost and found dog websites. If the owner is looking for their dog, your new friend’s stay shouldn’t last longer than a week.
Loype Tag helps both owners and finders
Our Loype Tag project is designed with both dog owners and finders in mind. The finder might not be a dog owner themselves, and they may not know what to do in such a situation. That’s why we aim to simplify the communication between a worried owner and a confused finder as much as possible, so that the lost dog can quickly find its way back home. We’ve created a tag that has a QR code and a link to our database, where the finder can find all the necessary information: your contact details, an emergency number for someone close to you, a photo of the dog, and information about vaccinations and other details about the dog: whether they need medication, have allergies, or exhibit specific behaviors (e.g., are deaf, aggressive towards other dogs, or react poorly to children).
The owner can update the entered information at any time and share the chosen details on social media if their dog is lost. You can also upload a vaccination card to the system, which can be useful if you forget it at a sport event. Additionally, you can set notifications for vaccination or deworming dates. Other users will only see the information you decide to share. At the same time, this can include key information for the finder – whether it’s a shelter scanning the tag or a teenager from a nearby village.
