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- Place food, water and familiar items outside, in the area where your dog went missing from, or was last seen. (e.g. dog kennel, dog bed, blanket, your coat, or anything that has your scent on it) Continue to keep food & familiar items out in that area, until dog is found.
- Make noise as you are walking the neighborhood: Call your dog's name, squeak a favorite toy, shake his box of treats.
- Stop regularly, be quiet and listen.
- Carry a powerful flashlight (even in daylight) to check under cars, porches and other dark spots.
- Create a Lost Pet posterusing a recent photograph of your pet and print at least 100 copies at a local print shop. Keep it short and use the largest lettering that will fit on an 8 1/2 by 11 sheet. Do this whether or not you have a recent photo of your pet.
- In this step and all others, include not only your telephone number, but the number of someone who can be contacted if you can't be reached. Do not disclose your name or address.
- In your description, include "Large Black & Tan Dog" for people who have no idea what an Airedale looks like.
- If your dog was groomed when lost and it has been several weeks, replace the posters with one also containing a picture of an ungroomed Airedale.
- Distribute the posters within a one-mile radius, starting with your neighbors. Ask them to check garages, in and behind storage sheds, under steps .. anywhere that might have been accessible at the time your dog was lost. If they have a surveillance camera, ask them to check to see if your dog was seen and find out which direction he was headed.
Start expanding the flyer area if no sightings are reported. Place them in convenience markets, gas stations, laundromats, veterinarians, etc. Give a copy to every school-age child you can. Make sure to give a copy to your mailman. Be sure to alert people not to pursue or chase your dog, if he/she does not come to them, but to call you with a time and exact location of where the dog was seen. (This step has proven to be very successful in bringing many lost dogs home)
- Call your local municipal Animal Control Shelter at ____________________________ and give them information on your lost pet.
- Call the local Humane Society and file a Lost Pet Report with their Lost & Found Department at ___________________________ .
- Place an ad in the local newspaper Lost & Found, at __________________________ .
- Check your newspaper Lost & Found section daily.
- If your pet has a microchip or tattoo, call the microchip companies. Call Home Again at 1-866-738-4324, AKC Companion Animal Recovery at 1-800-252-7894 and 24PetWatch at 1-866-597-2424. Have the microchip or tattoo identification number handy. It doesn't matter what brand of microchip you have implanted and call even if you are already registered just to make sure your telephone numbers are current. If your dog has an Avid microchip, also call Avid at 1-800-336-2843.
- Make poster size signs and post at nearby intersections and in front of home where dog went missing from. Be sure to use bright colored poster board and make the letters large enough for drivers to see.
- Post a Lost Dog Ad on internet sites: The most popular are NextDoor and Craigslist. Post in the lost and found section as well as pet section.
Use a descriptive Ad title (Lost Dog, Large Black & Tan Terrier) also in your ads description post as much information as possible including where he was last seen and the best picture you can find.
Post on the Facebook lost and found dog groups for your area. Place a Lost Dog Ad in your community newspaper. Be sure to post under lost and found in the classified section. You may also want to contact local radio stations, some will make a free public announcement of missing dog!
- Once you get a reported sighting of your dog
- Go to the area with food & leash. Remain calm. As soon as you see your dog, lower your body down to the ground and use familiar – positive words like “treat” or “go for walk” etc. If your dog is normally a little shy around strangers, he or she may not even come to you right away! If this is the case, we recommend that you place strong smelling food, like canned tuna, and familiar items with your scent on it…near the area right away!!…and alert everyone not to pursue the dog, if seen.
- The goal is to keep your dog in that area. If food, water, & shelter are easily accessible for him/her and is not forced to run, out of fear, most likely your dog will stay near-by…then you have the opportunity to try different techniques used to lure and safely catch your dog.
- Do not rely on shelter workers to properly identify an Airedale.
- Find out the holding period of each animal control and humane shelter. Be aware of how much time you have to claim your pet before it can be adopted or euthanized!
- Even if your dog was wearing a collar and tags when lost, don't assume he is still wearing them. If the holding period for a dog without tags is three days, you or a family member should visit every two days.
- Don't give up. Someone may hold your dog for several days or weeks before turning the dog over to the shelter.
- Notify the Regional Rescue Volunteers in your area.
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