By Arden Moore
Everyone loves a good mystery … that is, until the mystery centers on your missing pet. I know. Years ago, my cat Samantha went missing for 57 days before I was reunited with her.
That was before online pet-finding Web sites, microchipped IDs, pet detectives and high-tech GPS navigational devices that can track pets in real time on your cell phone or home computer.
Are the days of Houdini hounds disappearing? I hope so. Even if you do your best to be good pet parents, all it takes is for a cat to lean against a wobbly window screen or a repair person to not shut the front door for your beloved pet to slip outside and become disoriented and lost.
Others, as in the recent case of Cookie, a portly Boston terrier in Ocean Ridge, may have been “pet-napped.” His owner posted fliers and distributed photos to area veterinary clinics and voice-mails were sent to people in the neighborhood using a nifty new pet-finding Web site called www.findtoto.com. After the owner offered a no-questions-asked $1,000 cash reward, a cabbie, who identified himself only as Jeff, returned this pampered pedigree to reap probably the biggest tip of his career.
Each year, more than 5 million pets are reported lost in the United States — that’s about four times the population of two-leggers residing in Palm Beach County. Beyond the basics — fitting your pet with a collar that features an ID tag with your contact info — how can you reduce the risk of your pet’s becoming another sad statistic?
Always keep a current photo of your pet with your contact info in your car and inside your home. Ditto goes when you travel with your pet.
Let me walk you through some 21st century tactics to improve the odds of being reunited with your favorite four-legger:
Microchip implants: About the size of a grain of rice, the microchip is inserted between the shoulder blades of your pet by a veterinarian. It is quick and relatively painless. The chip contains your info as well as your veterinary clinic. Most animal shelters and vet clinics have special wands that can be waved over the shoulder area to detect the presence of a microchip. However, the chips are not viable until you send in the application to the microchip company and pay a nominal fee. Sadly, up to 40 percent of people have the chip inserted in their pets, but fail to send in the paperwork.
Pet detectives: Yes, they do exist and we’re not talking about goofy guys like Ace Ventura. The best in the business of finding lost pets is Kat Albrecht, a former police officer who founded Missing Pet Partnerships and trains dogs and people all over the country to become pet detectives. She has also authored two books on this topic. Learn more by visiting her Web site: www.pethunters.com.
Global Navigational Systems: Yes, those satellites hovering in space can keep tabs on your pet. Small devices can be attached to your pet’s collar or harness that pinpoint your pet’s location in real time. Even better, the info can be posted instantly on your cell phone or computer, so you can catch up to your wandering pet in record time. Among the leaders in this technology are Zoombak ( www.zoombak.com) and Love My Pets GPS ( www.lovemypetgps.com).
Voice-mail alerts. Cookie’s reunion was aided by the use of FindToto™, an emergency phone alert system for missing or stolen pets that has the blessing of the Better Business Bureau. Neighbors receive automated calls when your pet goes missing. The price ranges from $95 (for up to 500 neighbors) to $875 (to reach up to 10,000 neighbors). Learn more by visiting www.findtoto.com.
It’s a gut-flipping sensation to discover your pet has — poof! — disappeared. Hopefully, these tips provided will help keep your pet where he or she belongs — at home, safe, home.
Arden Moore, an animal behavior consultant, editor, author and professional speaker, happily shares her Oceanside, Calif., home with two cats, two dogs and one overworked vacuum cleaner. Tune in to her “Oh Behave!” show on Pet Life Radio.com and contact her at arden@ardenmoore.com.
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