How to protect your pet from getting lost

Losing a pet is one of the worst feelings for pet lovers. Not knowing if you will ever find them again, what has happened to them if they never come back and who they might have run into along the way are all real worries for concerned pet owners.

So how can you protect your pet from getting lost in the first place?

Ultimately, the old adage rings true: ‘prevention is better than cure.’ Checking if your property has secure fencing prior to bringing home a new pet or if moving into a new property is imperative as dogs are commonly lost when escaping their own yard. Consider the height of fences, whether they are high enough to contain your breed of dog, the width between fence palings, as many tricky pets can squeeze between the gaps and the distance between the bottom of the fence and the ground. You may need to use chicken wire or additional palings to secure these potential escape routes, particularly if you are leaving your pet in the garden unattended for longer periods of time where he or she may become bored and curious about what other adventures may be out there. 

Ensuring that your pet responds to simple commands such as ‘come’ or their name being called, as well as ‘stay’, will help them stay out of trouble when you are out and about walking them or when your gate has been left open by the local delivery driver. Being responsive to basic commands may even prevent your pet from being hit by a passing vehicle if your pet is distracted and walks onto the road.  The earlier you start training the better, however, older dogs can still be taught.  

Spaying or neutering your cat or dog will reduce their instinct, if they are male, to wander off seeking female dogs for mating. Neutering dogs changes their behaviours by reducing their instinct to search for a mate, which in turn means they are less likely to run off or attempt to escape. There are also benefits to females being spayed as they are less of a target for male dogs looking to mate; often a male dog who aggressively approaches can cause the female dog to bolt, leaving you trying to track down a flighty or fearful dog.

Be aware of travel safety and appropriate harnesses while travelling; often when pets are being transported they can escape either through an open door or window that has been wound down too far. Travelling is one of the worst times to lose your pet as the area is likely unfamiliar to your pet (and perhaps unfamiliar to you too!) and they are potentially already a bit out of sorts if they are not accustomed to regular travel or experience anxiety around travel (or even anxiety around where they are travelling to, for example, vet visits). 

You can read more about travel safety below:
Best Ways To Secure Your Cat For Travel
Best Ways To Secure Your Dog For Travel

Microchipping is a painless option for your pet and has reunited many a dog or cat with their owner. If your dog is taken to a vet surgery or shelter then they are able to scan the microchip to access all of your contact details immediately. Microchipping is also important because if somebody were to attempt to claim your pet is theirs’ then you have legal proof in the form of the microchip that your dog or cat belongs to you.   

What happens if your pet does go missing?

Hopefully, your pet is wearing a collar and identification tag.  Although it may sound basic, a tag on your pet’s collar can fast track the process as most people are pretty happy to help an animal get home. The first thing that fellow animal lovers will do is check the collar and ID tag for a phone number and often a lost pet is only a block or two from home, so very likely your friendly neighbour will be happy to either hold your pet while you come to collect or even bring your pet back to you. Although it may seem obvious, it is actually quite common for collars to be poorly fitted and so slip off (especially while pets are adventuring, squeezing beneath fences or through bushes); so ensuring that your pet’s collar fits well is a simple yet crucial thing to check.  Having a recent photo of your pet easily accessible so you can post a lost pet ad in your local community Facebook group is another easy and effective way to find your pet quickly. Some areas even have Facebook groups devoted to lost and found animals in the area. Of course, contacting your local RSPCA or animal shelter as soon as possible is important, ensure that you have your pet’s microchip number handy and register them on their animal lost and found list. 

Following a few simple steps now can make all the difference in the case of a missing pet!

Here is a checklist to help you keep your pet safe and more likely to make their way back home to you:

1. Ensure your pet is registered with your local council and microchip details are up to date
2. Check their collar fits correctly and has their council tag and a tag with a contact number attached.
3. Regularly check and maintain fences to ensure they don’t have any gaps – especially during periods of prolonged wet weather when the ground can become soft and fall away from the fence. 
4. Consider adding signage to gates and doors to remind visitors and delivery or tradespeople to keep them closed. 
5. Have a recent, clear photo of your pet saved on your phone or computer to share on social media with local community groups or in lost and found groups.