How to use Facebook and online tools to find a lost pet

The first hour: a checklist

1. Search your home. The ASPCA advises checking under beds, in closets, in dark and small places, and behind bulky furniture.
2. Search outside and knock on doors. For a dog, the American Kennel Club advises starting within a two-mile (3.2 km) radius of where they were last seen.
3. For a cat, look close. Check under decks and porches and inside garages and sheds. Humane World for Animals reports most are found less than a third of a mile (about 0.5 km) from where they escaped.
4. Pick one clear, recent photo. Write down when and where your pet was last seen.
5. Check your microchip registration. The ASPCA advises submitting an update as soon as possible if you have moved or changed your phone number.
6. Call animal control, veterinary hospitals, shelters, and rescue groups in your area. The ASPCA lists all four.

A scared cat often hides during the day, Humane World for Animals notes. It may come out only late at night, when the neighborhood is quiet. Search again after dark.

Write one post and reuse it everywhere

Write the post once, then copy it to every platform so the details stay consistent.

• Headline: "LOST DOG" or "MISSING CAT" plus your neighborhood or city.
• Photo: one clear, recent picture. The AKC advises putting your contact information on the photo itself, so it stays attached when the post is shared.
• Last seen: when and where your pet was last seen.
• Description: breed, sex, coloring, age, weight, and distinguishing features, as the ASPCA lists them.
• Name: your pet's name.
• Contact: two phone numbers – yours and a friend's or family member's, in case you cannot be reached.

Where to post

Repost often, as the AKC advises.

Shelters and the microchip

Online posts do not replace shelter visits. The ASPCA and the AKC both advise checking local shelters daily. Go in person and bring photos of your pet for the staff.

A microchip helps only if the registry has your current contact details. If you do not know which registry holds your pet's chip, enter the chip number in the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup. It shows which registries hold a record, with each company's website and phone number. It does not show owner information.

Contact that registry and confirm your phone number. If your pet is enrolled with AKC Reunite, call 800-252-7894 to report them lost.

Scam warnings

The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers prey on people who post about a lost pet.

• Verification code: the caller asks for a code texted to your phone to "prove" you are the owner. The FTC explains that the code lets them create a Google Voice number linked to your phone number.
• Pay to return: the caller wants money before they return your pet.
• Fake shelter or animal hospital: the caller poses as a shelter or animal hospital and demands a fee or medical deposit by phone.
• Transport fee: the caller says your pet is far away and asks for transport money by wire transfer or gift card.
• Fake pet detective: a recently created social media account offers to find your pet for an upfront payment.

Ask for several photos and for the detail you held back. Meet in a public place and bring a friend or family member. If a caller claims to be a shelter or animal hospital, hang up and call that organization directly. Report scams at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

When your pet is found

• Edit every post so the first word is "FOUND" or "REUNITED".
• On Nextdoor, share an update and create a reunion post. The original post is included in the thread, so everyone following it sees the update.
• In the Ring app, update your Lost Dog Post.
• Update or remove your listings on Petco Love Lost, PawBoost, and 24Petconnect.
• Tell the shelters, veterinary offices, and microchip registry you contacted.

Call your veterinarian if your pet comes home injured or seems unwell. Then check that the ID tag and microchip registration carry your current phone number.