July is National Lost Pet Prevention month.
Data indicates that more pets are lost in July than any other month. In part, it’s because of catastrophes… er, celebrations… like the Fourth, but also people are spending more time outside with their pets, traveling with their pets, and creating more opportunities for their pets to become lost during summer fun.
So, let’s talk lost pet prevention AND I’ll share our recent fright…
When Violet was a baby, we hired a company to take care of our lawn. What took John three or more hours–mowing, trimming, edging, the works–takes their team 15 minutes. It’s a splurge but so worth it. We kept them on over the years so that those hours saved became more time to spend as a family.
Well, the new guy on their team slammed the mower into our gate. But he didn’t tell us. Or, apparently, his boss, who we’ve now known for eight years. (They did this once before, about three years ago, and came and told us AND repaired the gate.)
That night, during the chaos of the bedtime routine, the dogs were outside asleep in the setting sun. John was reading to Astrid, and I was chatting with Violet. Before we went upstairs, I opened the door to check on the dogs.
No dogs.
Our yard wraps around the side of the house, so you can’t see it all at once. I walked the perimeter.
No dogs.
I ran into the house and yelled upstairs to John to come help.
I grabbed my phone off the kitchen counter. I glanced at it before I took off running, and my heart lurched into my throat.
It was Stola.
I dashed outside, but she wasn’t at the front door anymore. Several minutes had passed–I was with Violet without my phone.
And, since we have deaf dogs, you can’t just call them and expect them to come running. So, I sprinted off one way, John went the other way. I spotted some neighbors out for a walk and asked them to keep an eye out. They generously offered to walk in another direction from me so we could cover more ground.
Meanwhile, John found Stola almost immediately. She was curious about a kid playing basketball. He saw John and shouted, “Hey, your dog is here.” John scooped her up and brought her inside.
MEANWHILE, Penny apparently hadn’t really gone anywhere. This is still a mystery, but after I’d rounded the block, I decided to post on our neighborhood Facebook page, so I ran home, dashed inside, and… there was Penny.
“Mama, I found Penny,” Astrid said. I guess she must’ve come back into the yard and went straight to the door, where Astrid let her in.
So, all’s well that ends well, right?
Except… now we have a gate to fix and some additional safety measures to implement because that was genuinely terrifying. So, let’s get into the tips, shall we?
10 tips for lost pet prevention
- Secure your yard. Check gates regularly. Clearly, we’d grown complacent. Check for gaps or cracks in your fencing. If you have rabbits that dig holes, like we do, consider sinking chicken wire to fill the gaps.
- Keep your dog on leash. And ensure your dog’s gear fits properly so that he can’t slip out.
- For cats, make sure windows and screens are in good, working order. If you live somewhere with big storms, conduct routine inspections after a storm event.
- Microchip your pet! Chipped pets are far more likely to be returned to their owners. But, it’s also important to…
- Update your pet’s microchip. Is your address, phone number, and email current?
- Check your pet’s collar tag. If your dog or cat doesn’t have one, get one! Then make sure the information is current. There’s a lot of data that shows pets with up-to-date collar tags are returned quickly, before even landing in a shelter, because people are able to call the owner directly from the tag.
- Train your pets to come when called. If possible, of course. We have a recall for Penny and Stola, but it requires that they’re looking at us. In our case, I’m brainstorming some other ideas, but if your pet doesn’t have a solid recall–cats, too!–work on it now.
- Be extra cautious during big events. Like the Fourth or New Year’s Eve, street festivals, and so on–your pet can become frightened and bolt. Consider leaving your pet inside until the event is over!
- Consider a GPS tracking device. These aren’t in every budget, I know, but if you have a Houdini, it’s probably worthwhile. This is the next thing I’m looking into, so if you have any suggestions, please share them in the comments!
- Prepare NOW for the just-in-case. And, of course, hope it never happens. But spend a few minutes gathering a recent picture of your pet, his or her microchip number, lists of animal shelters and clinics where a lost pet might end up, and have all this saved somewhere in your phone in case of an emergency.
BTW, after things calmed down, we barricaded the gate and inspected every inch of our fence. We’re going to need a fencing company to come up and make some repairs to the gate and to another section where the boards are starting to warp. But, once my heart went back to its normal rhythm, I rewatched the doorbell camera video, and it made me smile that she just… went to the front door. And waited. Like, “Guys, I got loose! Someone let me in! Where are you guys?”
Have you ever had a lost pet?
What would you add to this list?
Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments so we can all learn together–and keep our pets safe!
I was out walking my dog when I came across an older Lab wandering in the street. I “called” him over by patting my leg and he came right over. He was wearing a collar with an ID tag reading “MILES” and a phone number. I didn’t have a phone with me, but thought I remembered someone calling a “Miles.” So we walked to the home where I thought Miles might belong and knocked. A woman came to the door and I pointed at Miles and asked if he belonged there. She turned out to be the cleaner, so her response wasn’t like that of a distraught owner. She nodded and asked how I came to have him. This is where the story is similar to yours. The lawn care team had left and forgot to shut the gate. The cleaner couldn’t see the (open) gate from the house and she put Miles out in the yard. Off he wandered. Thankfully the story had a happy ending. He was 1 block from a very busy road. So glad your pups are ok! As you said above, check your gates often.
Gosh, so so scary! I am so glad Penny and Stola didn’t go far and your panic was brief. It is definitely a good reminder to pay attention and be prepared if the worst does happen.
I actually had a bit of a scare less than four days after we adopted Zell. There was a gap in the front gate that we never had to worry about with our previous dog but that he is definitely slim enough to get through. And being curious, he went through it. Luckily I heard the clanging sound and investigated. Also fortunately, I had treats with me and was able to call him back before he headed for the road! A good early recall test? Thank goodness he passed!
So relatable and such an important reminder! We had a similar situation with a client’s dog not long agoone of the vet techs happened to be dropping off post-op meds when she noticed the dog roaming near the road. Turns out, the gate latch had been weakened by the monsoon rains and popped open with a gust of wind. The owner had no idea the dog had slipped out during nap time. Fortunately, it ended well, but it’s a powerful lesson in being proactive with gate checks, collars, and microchip updates.
Just helped find my neighbors new dog who ran out of a door left open in error! It happens right. With the help of several passing motorist and a gentleman who locked her In his garage and calling local police we were able to locate her! It took a village and reminded me how KIND people are when most of the time the news is saying otherwise. At any rate, she too was near a very busy intersection! Just glad it turned out well!