What to Do in the First 24 Hours After Your Pet Goes Missing

The first hours matter more than anything else you will do. Work close to home first, then widen out.

Start at home

1. 1Search your house and yard thoroughly. Frightened cats and small dogs often hide indoors or under decks and vehicles.
2. 2Walk the immediate area calling your pet in a calm voice, and pause often to listen.
3. 3Leave something familiar outside your door, such as their bed or a worn item of your clothing.
4. 4Ask neighbors to check garages, sheds, and fenced yards.

Turn on Lost Mode

In your HomeSafePet dashboard you can mark a pet as lost. Their public profile switches to a lost pet view that makes it obvious to anyone who opens it that the pet is missing, and presents the recovery options you enabled.

Notify the right places

• Local animal shelters and animal control, by phone and in person if you can.
• Nearby veterinary clinics and emergency hospitals.
• Your microchip registration record, so your contact details are correct.
• Local lost pet groups and neighborhood apps with a clear photo and description.

Keep going

Pets are found days and sometimes weeks after going missing. Recheck shelters in person regularly, keep flyers up, and keep your profile current.