Going “off leash” at parks or in public. Even the best trained dog can have an “oh look its a squirrel” or “hey, I know that guy” moment.  Releasing your dog from their leash puts the dog in control and makes them a free agent to roam. Regardless of your level of training, the dogs love of their people, or the trust you have in them to listen to your commands, a dog is going to be a dog every now and then. Be sure you know your dog and never let them out of your sight when off leash and out of a fenced or contained environment.

The LOVE Connection. The air is like “Match.com” for your pets. Cat or dog, if a female in heat, natural instincts will drive a male to become a furry Valentino.  Here’s a shocking fact, a male can smell a female in heat up to 12 miles away. If they do stray, so much can happen to them that will impact their ability to return to you. Having your pets spayed or neutered will help limit their urge to wander off for a quick round of the dating game.

Overwhelming Connection with their Human Parents. Separation Anxiety in pets is real. A pet can become so dependent and/or connected to the leader of their pack, normally either their human Mom or Dad, that they become uncontrollably anxious and fearful they will never see them again. In extreme cases on Separation Anxiety, your pet may attempt a jail break, then go on a Forrest Gump type trek across the world to find you. Once they leave their comfortable surroundings, they may get lost and never be able to find their way back home.

Boredom is not a Monarchy in Europe. Cats and dogs do get extremely bored just hanging around the house waiting for you to interact, play, pet, and pay attention to them. If you consider their ancestry, they were nomad animals that hunted and ran most of the day. Like in other cases we’ve discussed, a bored animal may wander off to find something that is fun and exciting. This leaves them prey to the great outdoors and things that may prohibit them from returning to their comfortable home. The best way to avoid “the Great Escape” due to being bored is to assure they have plenty to playtime, activities, and simulations available… even if you’re not at home.

JAIL BREAK. If the natural containment barrier at your home is breached or damaged, even the most home bound and content dog might succumb to a “walk about” the neighborhood and beyond. Fences break, holes develop, gates are left open, and dogs dig under fences. To assure your beloved babies aren’t in the midst of planning “the Great Escape” from their comfortable surroundings, we suggest a bi-weekly inspection tour of the fences and yard (or enclosure) they call home. Find break point, fix them immediately, or contain the pet indoors, or by lead, until you can mend the hole.

Unintentional Sabotage by their own Family. People get forgetful. Gates are left open, doors not latched, leads are not all the way attached, harnesses get worn, car doors are left ajar, “I’ll only be gone for a moment” moments happen, strangers visit and leave doors open entirely too long… and these freak occurrences and accidents give your pets a free run at the great outdoors. These things are mostly unavoidable, even with the best safety routine in your home. All you can do is be diligent and vigilant, maybe yell a little if you have someone break security protocol. You’re pet is not going to point it out, at least not till they have hightailed it out the door.

The Wild Kingdom Comes a Knocking. Wild Animals enter your yard all the time. Rabbits, skunks, squirrels, and other small animals are common in most areas. Your pets, cats and dogs, could be tempted to chase and play with these strangers, regardless how well trained your pets are and how many times you’ve screamed “NO”. Once a pet has gone outside the walls of their containment, the chances of them ever coming back multiply with each passing minute. In wooded areas or with the city overtaking the normal breeding and hunting grounds of bigger wildlife, your pets look interesting (and  tasty) to these natural born hunters.

Lost on the 4^th of July. Any holiday with fireworks is one of the days of the year when the largest amount of pets go missing at one time. You can help avoid this by assuring your pets are indoor and distracted on firework holidays (July 4^th, Memorial, and Labor Day. Local celebrations). Keep them away from rooms with windows, play soothing music loudly, laugh at the fireworks as they go off to show that you’re not afraid. In some cases, your veterinarian may prescribe sleep aids or sedatives.

Lastly, we need to address the fastest growing cause of missing pets in this country…

The Five Finger and 4 Paw Discount. Animal theft is big business as over 2 million pets each year are taken. The cases of dog theft has risen over 40% in the past 3 years. It is estimated that due to security, improper or weak barriers, animals left in cars, nearly 70% of all pets could be taken with little or no effort on the part of thieves. Pet nappers target their prey based on breed, size, location, lack of security, and what will bring the most money. Sadly, some animals are taken to become food for other animals or entertainment (fighting dogs). The act of this crime impacts the owners and the pets themselves. Because of the sheer emotional connection and love for their fur kids, pet owners are easy prey for ransom. Today’s thief’s are also using the internet to find and target their victims, as well. Social media makes it possible to locate a particular breed, follow a persons coming and goings, and then develop a plan to “lift” the pet when they are most vulnerable.

The only positive to this story is that 93% of dogs and 75% of cats who are are stolen are eventually returned to their owners. However, this positive number does not undo the mental, physical, and emotional damage done on the pets and their people. The love of animals, animal rights groups, and the acceptance of animals as family members has triggered 23 states to implement laws and punishment for pet theft.

Microchip your Pets- As most of you already know, a microchip is a small computer chip that is implanted under your pets skin, normally between the shoulder blades. It is as simple process that is no more than the pinch of a needle. Your personal contact information is tied to that chip, and thus that animal, in a national registry. Nearly all veterinarians and shelters now have the capability to scan and read these chips. To make this system work properly, it is imperative that the information is current and accurate. If your address or phone number changes, the information in the microchip data base must also be updated, or the chip becomes useless. Veterinarians, Shelters, and law enforcement credit proper microchipping of pets as a primary reason the “return to home” numbers continue to rise.

ID Tags on their Collar or Harness–  A simple metal circle that is attached to your dogs harness or collar could be the easiest and fastest way to reconnect pet to person. There are “designer” and “themed” ID tags that can be engraved and personalized to meet your pets unique style. Tags can read things like “Please call my Mom, She’s Freaking Out Right Now”, or “Can You Help Me Get Back Home”, plus many more options. Places like Pet retailers, Amazon, and even E-Bay have vendors with wide selections of tags to meet every pets needs.  Information such as;

• The Pets Name
• The Owners phone number, with area code
• The Home Address (at least the City and Zip Code if the entire address won’t fit on the tag)
• Any medical issues, and any behavioral concerns (such as biting)
• The animals primary care Veterinarians number. If your information changes but the tag didn’t, your pets everyday wellness provider should have current information on the owners

The only drawback is that the collar, and tag, can be lost or removed. This erases the advantage the ID Tag brings. Some owners also have their contact information sewn into the collar or harness as an extra layer of prevention and safety.

GPS Tracker– To really bring finding your missing pet into the technology age, for between $75 and $200 you can purchase a GPS Tracker Tag for your pets collar. This device links to an app on your phone or home PC and gives you up to date information and location of your favorite furry. Cat and dog alike will be living in a WAZE type world as they are outfitted with the latest in internet tracking gear. Much like the ID Tag, the GPS Tracker is only as good as the collar where its attached. The tracker can be removed and rendered useless

Sadly, there aren’t currently GPS Tracking Chips for animals. Maybe, in the future, the technology to implant a chip into your pet that will give owners information AND track the animal will be developed.

There are pet collar cameras currently available that send a live feed of what the animal is seeing directly to your device. However, these are limited, as well.