Collect scent *before* your pet goes missing!

 Preventative tips for theft and loss 

Keep an eye on your pet when they are outside and don’t let them roam.   

Don’t leave your pet unattended in the car.

Tattoo and/or microchip  

During each annual visit to your veterinarian have them check that your pet’s microchip is working.  Approximately one in one thousand chips will fail and some will migrate,  so please have your pets Microchip checked yearly. 

Keep your pets inside the house when you are not home. 

Unfortunately, skittish pets are often mistaken for abused or feral animals. If your pet is skittish please have tags on them that read: for cats “I’m frightened not feral” and for dogs “I’m skittish NOT abused”.  People will refuse to return your pet if they THINK he was abused.  Feral cats often face death in some shelters.  

Make sure your pet is inside during thunder storms or fireworks. Dogs, and cats, who are agitated should be put into a safe room with no open windows or doors. Remember screen doors will not keep in a charging dog. Please do not take a dog to watch firework display. They could become frightened and bolt away.   

Don’t discuss the value, pedigree lines, awards or any special training your dog has with strangers. 

If your pet is an indoor only pet have a tag on their collar that reads "lost if outside" and have contact information on the tag too.

Thin ice kills pets so keep them away from it.

Spay or neuter your pets to avoid roaming and aggression.   

A collar with an up-to-date phone number and current rabies tags are a must!  

Train all of your pets to respond to food rewards.  This can be done by calling out "TREATS!" and shaking a treat bag, then giving the treat as the pet comes to you.  NEVER trick a pet by using this method to give them a bath or to punish them.

Do a pet head count before you go to bed each night. 

Inspect all screens for damaged areas where your pet could squeeze out.   

Make sure all outdoor access doors will self-fasten when left open. 

Always have up-to-date photos of your pets and store copies outside of your home incase of fire.   

When constructing an area for your pets outside make sure you can see the gate from your door and windows.    

When transporting your pet always make sure that they are secure in the car.  Cats and other small pets should be in pet carriers; these carries must be secured by pulling a seatbelt through the handle and properly fasten the seatbelt. Dogs should be in doggie seatbelts. 

    Safe pet transport

Microchip all of your pets even the ones that don’t have outdoor access. Microchips are a low cost way to have your pet identified in the event that someone brings the cat into a veterinarian’s office or shelter.  Most veterinary clinics will scan a cat for free.  

Alert fire fighters and police officers that pets are in your home by placing a PET SAVE sticker on your doors. (I investigated a case where the police accidentally let a dog out during a break and enter investigation!)  

Don’t allow people to hold your door open as they chat.  Either they step in the house or you step out.   

If you are having a party, moving or contracting workers (carpenters, plumbers etc) make a safe room for your pet and place their favorite items in the room with them.  Don’t forget to leave fresh water too.  

Placing a bell on your pet’s collar gives you a chance to hear that your pet is close to a door or window.  

When selecting a boarding facility, look for potential escape points for your pet.  These buildings should have multiple doors so that your pet cannot bolt out of the clinic should they become frightened or overly excited.

If possible, place video surveillance cameras around your home and place signs to warn would be thieves. 

Dogs - preventative tips

When you tie your dog outside of a store, café, etc. use a carabiner clip with fastening function at the end of the leash.  (Black Diamond Vaporlock Biner are the best)  You can wrap a leash around a secure anchor (i.e. a tree) and fasten it back to the handle.

Dakota's leash is fastened to the fence by a carabiner clip.

Do regular checks around fencing and gate latches.  Make sure that there is no damage to the fence, the latches are working properly and check to see that the dog has not been digging close to the fence.  They have been known to tunnel out. 

If there are loud noises or other factors that may frighten your dog don’t leave him in a fenced yard. Frightened dogs have sailed over fences of incredible sizes.  They have also pulled their heads out of collars to escape.  It is best to take them in the house.

Check the dog’s collar, tags and leash for damage on a regular basis. 

NEVER fasten the dog's leash to the tag fastener.

If you fasten the leash like this the dog can break away very easily.  It will also cause the tags to break away and they will no longer be on your dog. 

Obedience train your dog and pay particular attention to the “come” command.  All dogs should respond to this 100% of the time.   

Put your dogs in the back yard or in another area where people passing by don’t have easy access to them.

Use self latching gates (the kind used on pool fences) in the area where you keep your dog.  And check them regularly to make sure they swing shut when they are left open.

Cats – preventative tips  

For indoor only cats, never let them outside unless they are in a pet carrier.  Do not allow people to carry your cat outside in their arms, doing so will confuse the cat into thinking it is part of his territory. These steps will lower the probability that the cat will slip out of the door.  But, of course, you must always be careful not to leave any door or window open for the cat to slip out of.  

For outdoor access cats listen for cat fights and other animals that may be a threat to your pet.  Cats are far more social than people tend to think so don’t assume that a cat’s territory is only occupied by one cat. Most cats will spend 80% of their time in the core of their territory and the additional 20% exploring.  

If you use a harness to tie your cat outside make sure it is a properly fitted cat harness.  It is difficult to get a harness that a cat can’t slip out of. 

Do not bring your cat to another house, especially if they have other pets, when you go away.  The cat will not recognize this as his territory and this increases the chances he will escape.  If you must do this please restrict the cat to one room that does not have an outdoor access door and bring familiar items for the cat to enjoy during his stay.   

If you can leave the cat home and have a trusted friend, relative or pet sitting service come into your home, that is most comfortable for your kitty and it lessons the probability of escape. 

Have safe zones for your outdoor access cat to escape to. Areas under sheds, decks and fences can make for great places to escape or hide should your cat become frightened.    

One of our clients, Ryan Grant of Bedford, came up with this idea so that his beloved little kitty would not get out again.  This screened in deck will keep his kitty safe..

                              4 paws up for the great idea! 

Talking Birds - preventative tip

Teach your bird to say your phone number and address.  This is not only cute, it could also aid the recovery of your beloved bird.

If you know any preventative tips and would like to share them please email Vicky at info@petdetective.ca 

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