How to find a missing dog: 6 tips on what to do if your dog gets lost and how to bring them home safely

• There is nothing more distressing than when your pet goes missing.
• Between January 2023 and June 2024, nearly 5,000 dogs and over 20,000 cats were reported missing.
• Microchipping dogs has been mandatory in the UK since April, 2016.
• Here is what you need to do if your dog goes missing and how to bring them home safely.

Losing your pet is any pet parent’s worst nightmare. Our four-legged-friends are valuable members of the family and when they’re missing it can be a really distressing time.

Petlog, one of the UK’s largest microchipping databases, reported that between January 2023 and June 2024, nearly 5,000 dogs and over 20,000 cats were reported missing.

Microchipping your dog has been compulsory in the UK since April 2016, with new regulations requiring all cat owners in England to microchip their pets coming in force in June 2024. Owners also must ensure their contact details are registered and kept up-to-date.

But, even if your dog is microchipped, what are the best steps to take if they go missing? Here’s everything you need to know about how to bring your dog home safely if they get lost.

What do you do if your dog goes missing?

A missing pet is any pet parent’s worst nightmare, if you’ve already checked all the familiar places you dog could be, here are things you can do to help get your four-legged-friend home safe.

Contact your dog warden

As soon as your dog goes missing contact your council’s dog warden both local to you and in your surrounding areas. Report your pet missing in case it is has been picked up and is in a council pound, where it must legally be held for seven days, or five days in Northern Ireland.

Microchip

Ensure your dog’s microchip details are up to date with your name, address and current phone number. If your dog is handed into a vet or caught by the dog warden, this is what will be scanned to find out how to help them get home.

Contact local vets and dog centres

Often if a dog is found missing it will be handed into a local vets or an animal charity rehoming centre. Call round all the vets in the area that your dog has went missing and let local animal charity centres know in case your dog is brought to them as a stray.

Social media

Social media can play a huge role in helping you find your missing pet. There are many accounts, pages and groups, dedicated to helping you report and find your missing dog, as well as voluntary groups that can help you search for your pet. It is also completely free and you can share and receive information and tips about your pet instantly.

Put up posters or make up flyers

If you know what area your dog was last spotted in, or where they have gone missing, canvassing the neighbourhood with flyers and putting up missing dog posters can let people in the local area know your pup is missing and who to contact if they are found.

It also helps share information such as their name, where they were last seen and anything people should know, such as not to chase, as well as your contact number so you can follow up on any leads immediately.

Check doglost.co.uk

This is a free website that keeps a database of lost or found dogs across the UK.

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Do dogs come back if they run away?

If your dog gets lost in an area that is familiar to them, they might be able to find their way home by following their scent. You can help them do this by leaving out clothing that smells of you, or a familiar item such as their bed and water bowl, do not leave out dog food as this can attract other animals.

What are the odds of finding a missing dog?

What is reassuring is that 93% of missing dogs are found within 24 hours, however how easy it is to find your missing pet can determine on their personality and what happened before they went missing.

A scared or nervous dog can travel long distances, once they have done this they will often find a place to hide, which can make finding them a challenge, which is why it’s so important to follow all the steps above to help bring your four-legged-friend home safe.

You can find out more about what to do if your dog goes missing at Dog’s Trust. Information on how to contact your local dog warden will be available from your local council.