What to do if your dog gets lost
First and foremost, don’t panic, and create a lost dog report in the Wuff app.
When your dog goes missing, it can be a traumatic experience for both of you. But don't panic—you need to think clearly, act quickly and create a game plan. Once you've shared your report in the Wuff app, follow these additional steps outlined below. It's important to act as quickly as possible to increase your chances of finding your furry friend!
1. Print a poster
It is an old but effective method to hang up posters with the dog's photo and important details around the area of the disappearance. If you report the animal as missing on our platform, we will send you a poster to your email address based on the information you provide!"
2. Notify family and friends
It's worth informing family and friends so they can share the poster, social media posts
3. Notify a nearby vet
If someone finds your dog and reads the chip, they may well be able to contact your vet, so it's worth letting them know. Maybe you could put a poster up at the clinic, increasing the chances of finding your dog. If you no longer have the same vet who put the chip into your dog, it's worth trying to find both!
4. Share on social media
Our posts are optimized for different sites and built from the information you provide, so they can be shared on social media platforms easily and quickly.
5. Notify authorities
Depending on where you live, you may also want to contact the following services to see if they have seen your dog: -Skinner - Field guard - Public space inspection
6. Notify taxi drivers
Taxi drivers are everywhere in the city, they could easily have seen your animal. Even if they can't catch it, they can help you narrow down the search area.
7. Notify local dog communities
There are many location-based dog groups on social media platforms. There are also groups specifically dedicated to missing animals. These usually have very active and helpful members, so it's worth looking for such groups in your area!
If you assume that your dog got stolen
8. Notify the police
If you have a rare or popular breed of dog, they might have been stolen. If this is the case, it is worth reporting it to the police
If you assume that your dog has run away
9. Setting up a feeding station
Sometimes the escaped animal is trying to find its way back to you, but it doesn't always know the area well. It can become tired, hungry, and thirsty soon. If you put some food and drink in a few places, chances are it will wait in one of those places or start finding the way back to you.
10. Contact shelters
Maybe someone has already found your animal and taken it to a shelter in the area. It's worth calling some shelters in your area to see if your pet is already being looked after there. Tip: You can get a list of shelters nearby you by using the appropriate filter in the app's "Dog friendly places" menu.
11. Placing odour samples
Sometimes the escaped animal is trying to find its way back to you, but it doesn't always know the neighbourhood well. You can 'mark them' the way home by putting out scent samples. All you need to do is rub a few pieces of cloth against your body and scatter them around your area. The dog's sensitive nose will recognize the owner's scent.
