Be Prepared in Case your Dog Goes Missing

Most of the 13 million dogs in the UK will always remain safe, so please don’t panic! Some 5,000 dogs are reported missing each year, which is 5,000 too many, of course, and a quarter of those never make it home, which is horrific thought.

However, we can be prepared, so that this horrible occurrence is less likely to happen, and if it does happen, that we have the best chance of finding our pets safely and swiftly.

• Keep a tracker on your dog. Make sure it’s always fully charged.

  • Which to choose? There's a variety, to say the least. Some use just bluetooth, more reliable ones also use GPS. None is perfect as they rely on signal in the area, but they can still make a life or death difference to your dog. The other divider is whether they charge a subscription or not. Some of the best do not, but please don't compromise.

  • My dogs wear Tractive on walks, and also have an Apple Airtag built into their collars all the time. Air tags aren't good enough on their own, as at times they won't pick up a signal at all, BUT the battery lasts a very long time. A dead battery is what stopped us finding Milo, as he WAS wearing his tracker when he got lost.

  • The info is all out there, but here's a set of useful reviews. Overall, Tractive comes out pretty much on top, with PitPat, which has no subscription, right up there too. https://www.smartbark.co.uk/post/best-gps-trackers-for-dogs   

Tractive on the collar

Trackers can also go on a harness

• Check your garden for escape routes regularly and have ‘KEEP CLOSED” signs on doors and gates. Get down to doggy level and really forage about. You'd be amazed how small a space a dog on a mission can squeeze through.

• Check your dog is microchipped and that the chip is registered and up to date.

  • Keep the details on your phone so you can report a loss quickly.

  • Here is a list of DEFRA approved microchip companies.https://www.gov.uk/get-your-dog-cat-microchipped

  • Check you're not using a scammer. They are out there.

  • If in doubt, register or even re-register your chips with https://petdatabase.com/doglosto   Many databases charge a small fee to register and offer preium services should you wish.

• Keep a closer eye, or a lead, on your dog in unfamiliar areas, near railway lines, open water or clifftops. Safe Paws Network is campaigning for better warning signs.

• Find out who your go-to canine SAR team is in your area. DogLost is a good start, and other areas have good and experienced teams. Register yourrself and your dog on https://www.doglost.co.uk so that if the worst happens you aren’t starting from scratch.

• Be very familiar with the basic ‘rules’ on our home page.

• Keep photos on your phone showing your dog from various angles and showing any distinctive features.