Lost Your Dog? Act Fast!

I was waiting for my flight to take off earlier this week, headed back home after a two-week visit to Canada. I half-heartedly listened to the emergency procedures when a light bulb went off in my head. Most people in America would know how to put on their oxygen mask. They also know that their seat cushion can be used for a flotation device, even if they've never done either of these things before. Because they have probably heard the safety briefing a hundred times.

An estimated 50-70 percent of shelter animals are lost pets. Lost Dogs of Wisconsin and Lost Dogs Illinois were formed to proactively approach this dismal statistic. Unfortunately, many lost dogs owners are in a panic and they do all the wrong things. Sometimes they even do the exact opposite of what they should be doing, prolonging their search and possibly resulting in the death of their dog.

We have created two documents - Five Things To Do If You Have Lost Your Dog and Five Things To Do If You Have Found a Dog.

Even when our volunteers feel that they have said it a hundred times - we need to remember that to most people, this is new information. Our goal is to have every person in America know what to do if they have lost or found a dog, even if they have never done it before.

And until that time, like the airlines' safety briefings, we will keep sharing these tips.