If you've lost a dog, finding them again can feel like an impossible task, and we can find ourselves wondering if there's anything out there to help.
Well, the good news is that there is! The PetRadar app acts as a lost dog finder, and it has already reunited over 12,000 pets with their owners.
In this guide, we're exploring exactly what a lost dog finder is, how it can help you, and how they work. With our help, your pup will be home in no time!
Quick Navigation
Key takeaways
What is a lost dog finder?
Why use a lost dog finder
How the PetRadar lost dog finder works
FAQs
Final thoughts
What is a lost dog finder?
It's every owner's worst nightmare when their dog goes missing. After all, they are part of the family. When they do get lost, we can feel hopeless. Dogs can wander on their own for miles, so the potential search radius could be huge.
However, over 90% of lost dogs are found, so the odds are in your favor. If you think practically and logically and be proactive in your search efforts, the likelihood is that you will get them home. And now, there are tools and apps to help you in this situation.
Lost dog finders can vary from alerting your neighbors to posting on social media and even to pet detectives. Put simply, a lost dog finder is anything that is designed to make finding your dog that little bit easier.
Over 90% of lost dogs are found, so the odds are in your favor. If you think practically and logically and be proactive in your search efforts, the likelihood is that you will get them home.
Why use a lost dog finder
Whether you've got a particularly busy lifestyle, kids to look after, or a demanding career, finding a lost dog takes time and effort.
Trying to spread the message of your lost pet to as many people as possible can take hours and even days. Designing, printing, and distributing posters around your neighborhood is a time consuming task and knocking door-to-door can take even longer.
However, the more people who know about your missing dog, the more likely you are to find them, so it's an essential step. This is where a lost dog finder comes in. By making these processes more efficient and effective, you can increase your chances of finding your pup without wasting precious time.
How the PetRadar lost dog finder works
The PetRadar lost dog finder has reunited over 12,000 lost pets with their owners primarily by utilizing social media and alerting the owners' neighbors.
Social media
When you report your dog missing with PetRadar, we'll do all we can to get them home. First, we create a digital missing dog poster and distribute it on social media as a sponsored post or an advertisement.
This targets people in your area, meaning over 4,000 neighbors will receive a lost pet alert about your lost dog. So, when your neighbors are scrolling through their Facebook and Instagram feeds, they'll see your furry friend. From the post, they can report a sighting, send it to a friend, or save it for later.
We'll set you up with your own personal dashboard that documents exactly how many people your posts are reaching and how many people are interacting with them. Here, you'll also have access to hundreds of helpful articles full of guidance and expert advice. We'll notify you instantly as soon as any comments on the posts are made or as soon as a sighting is reported, meaning you can act quickly.
Listing on the website and constant support
Often, when people have found pets in the great outdoors, they will search online to see if there are any missing pets in the area that match the pup they have found. This is so they can be reunited as quickly as possible with their owners.
To help your lost dog stand out on search engines, we’ll list your pet for free on our website. It'll be location specific and all of the other lost and found pets in the area will also be featured on an interactive map, so people can see where your dog may be.
If they have found your pup, they can report a sighting, and we'll notify you instantly so you can get your dog home quickly! Throughout the whole process, our team of pet lovers will be with you every step of the way. We'll send emails every day updating you on the progress of your search, suggest articles full of advice for your specific situation, and be there to chat if you need it.
Personalized posters
We have experienced countless times when distressed pet owners are getting scammed or prank called by members of the public after putting their personal contact details on missing pet posters and pinning them up around the neighborhood.
This is the last thing you need when you're trying to find your beloved furry friend, which is why we've designed a lost dog poster that has a unique QR code for each pet. This means that when you report your pet missing to us for free, we'll send you a personalized and printable poster of your pup with a QR code on it, instead of your contact details.
So, when passers-by are looking at the flyer, they can simply scan the code with their smartphone, and it will take them straight to the listing of your pet on our website. Here, they can see more information about your furry friend and report a sighting.
FAQs
How do you find your dog when it's lost?
To find your dog when it is lost, you should report them missing as soon as possible. You should then start physically searching for them and spreading the message around your neighborhood, before starting a PetRadar app to alert your neighbors.
What is the best app to find a lost dog?
The best app to find a lost dog is PetRadar. The app alerts over 4,000 of your neighbors to your lost dog via social media ads to spread the message far and wide.
Can a lost dog be tracked?
A lost dog cannot be tracked unless it is wearing a GPS collar. Using the PetRadar app, you'll be able to track the reported sightings and use them to find your lost dog.
Can a dog find its way home if lost?
Yes, dogs can find their way home even if they're lost. This is because they have natural homing abilities thanks to their strong senses of smell and hearing.
What attracts a lost dog?
You can attract a lost dog back home by leaving out strong-smelling food, toys, blankets, and clothes. Leaving doors and windows open can also help familiar sounds travel further so they can navigate their way back to you.
What are tips for finding a lost dog?
Our top tips for finding a lost dog include spreading the message far and wide using social media and lost dog posters, reporting your dog missing to local animal shelters, animal control, and veterinarians, and luring them back home by leaving strong-smelling food outside your home.
Final thoughts
We hope this guide has been helpful. If you're still looking for your lost dog, remember to report them missing to your local animal shelter, animal control, and local veterinarians.
Then, start a PetRadar search. Our pet alerts will reach thousands of your neighbors, spreading the message of your lost dog far and wide. Our team of animal lovers will be with you every step of the way, offering expert support and guidance.
Written by
Lauren Jeffries
In this blog, I combine my two areas of expertise: pets and writing. I share my personal experiences alongside plenty of animal behavior research to help owners look after their pets. I have always lived with furry friends and am now a loving cat mum to two orange kitties.
