Lost Your Pet? What to Do in the First 24 Hours
Losing a pet is frightening. The good news: most lost pets are found, and the first few hours matter most. Here is exactly what to do, step by step.
In the first hour
- Search close to home first. Walk your street and nearby yards, calling your pet’s name calmly. Bring a favourite treat or a squeaky toy.
- Check hiding spots. Cats especially hide quietly nearby: under decks, in garages, sheds and bushes. Bring a flashlight, even in daytime.
- Leave something familiar outside, like their bed or an unwashed shirt of yours, with a bowl of water.
- Ask neighbours to check garages and sheds, and to look at doorbell or security camera footage.
In the first few hours
- Post your pet on FindMyWag as Lost, with clear recent photos and the exact spot you last saw them. We create a printable flyer for you.
- Call local animal services and shelters and file a lost pet report. Check their found animal listings online too.
- Call vet clinics nearby in case someone brings your pet in for a microchip scan.
- If your pet is microchipped, call the microchip company to mark them as lost and confirm your contact details are current.
- Share your post in local Facebook groups and neighbourhood apps.
Over the next days
- Put up flyers at eye level near where your pet went missing, plus at vet clinics, pet stores and community boards.
- Visit shelters in person every couple of days. Descriptions on the phone can be wrong.
- Search again at dawn and dusk, when it is quiet and pets are more likely to move.
- Keep your FindMyWag post updated with any sightings.
Watch out for scams
Never send money to anyone before you see your pet in person. Keep one unique detail private so you can check if someone really has your pet. Read our safety tips.
Prevent it next time
- Keep a collar and ID tag on your pet at all times, along with any required city licence tag.
- Make sure your pet’s microchip details are up to date.
- Take care during fireworks holidays like Victoria Day, Canada Day and New Year’s Eve, and during moves.
- Add a FindMyWag smart tag so anyone who finds your pet can reach you with one tap.
Lost a pet right now? Report your pet on FindMyWag. It’s free.
