10 steps you should take if you lose your pet

Have you ever wondered what you should do if your dog or cat gets lost and doesn’t come home? Stay calm and follow these steps to help find them:

Steps to find a lost pet in Spain

1. Even though you will be feeling anxious, the first thing you should do is think of all the places they may have gone and act quickly. Every minute counts! Your pet may not be far from your home or the place where you last saw them. They may have been scared and may have hidden themselves. If you have recently moved home, you should go to your old neighbourhood. Cats and dogs often return to their former home.

2. Call or go to the nearest Guardia Civil, national or local police station and file a report. The officer will ask you for the 15 digits on the microchip, which your pet must have according to current regulations for the protection of companion animals.

3. Create a profile of your lost animal in Miwuki and also look for them in the adoption section, because if a shelter took them in, they will probably have created a profile there to find the animal a new home. Take a look at Zeus’ animal adoption story. He was lost for a year and thanks to Miwuki, he returned home.

4. Notify your vet and the Red Española de Identificación de Animales de Compañía (Spanish Network for the Identification of Companion Animals) in your community. If someone finds your dog or cat, the vet who identifies them, using the registered data from the microchip, will know that they are a lost animal and that they are being searched for.

5. Visit the veterinary clinics and shelters in the area where your dog or cat has become lost. It is possible that someone has found them and taken them to be cared for by professionals. If they do not have your pet there, provide them with their details: name, photo and any information that may be useful to identify them.

6. Call or email the local cats’ and dogs’ home in the area where your pet is registered, and send them all your pet’s details. Also, let them know the date, time and place where your pet was lost, so that they can tell you if the details match those of an animal they have picked up during the day. If they find your pet, they will contact you using the information found on the microchip or the contact details you have provided.

7. Make posters stating the name, breed, age, colour, contact details and a recent photo, and hang them in the area where you lost your pet. Try not to focus your search on too small a radius.

8. Spread the word around, notifying your neighbours, family and friends. Take their photo with you and ask as many times as you can.

9. Announce your lost pet on social media: the power of social media is very great, and it is possible that one of your contacts will spread the word and that someone may have seen your animal.

10. Visit websites dedicated to pets where you can create an announcement that your pet is missing or see a list of lost animals. E.g. www.srperro.com/perdidos-encontrados

Be patient. It won’t be an easy task. Some pets disappear for months or even years before being found by their families. Follow these steps and don’t stop looking for them.