What to do if you lose your dog in Dorset
Newton from our group ran out of his house while his mum was away and got hit by a car and bolted. He was found down an alley a couple of doors down after 24 hours of looking
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We’ve had a lot of missing dogs reported on our Dog Friendly Dorset Facebook group
So we want to provide a resource to help our members.
Written and published in collaboration between Nicky Crowe of DFD and Emma Shaw of Staglers
Lost Dog on a walk…
So, you’re out and about enjoying the beautiful Dorset countryside (or beaches) with your furry best friend, and then you suddenly realise . . . you can’t see your dog.
You scan all around you but you can’t see them, or hear them. A few moments pass and you start to feel that prickly panic creeping in. After shouting their name for several more minutes to no avail, it’s time to face the possibility that your dog may be missing.
Stay calm. Breathe. Here’s what you need to do next:
Immediate Actions (first half-hour of a dog going missing)
Try not to panic, this goes against the grain but you have a better chance of dealing with the situation if you can remain level headed. Focus on your breathing and slowing it down or at least keeping your awareness on it.
Spend around half an hour cheerfully calling/whistling your dog, retracing your steps if possible. If you can make familiar sounds such as rattling their treat tin this may help.
You can also try rolling treats in your fingers to cover with your scent and then leave a trail as you walk so they can follow it to you.
Ask other dog walkers if they have seen your dog or anything that may help i.e. strange behaviour or vehicles. Give them your number if you’re comfortable in doing so and suggest a meeting spot, like the car park, that you can circle back to.
Stop and listen often.
Check back at the car/car park frequently.
If you have a rough idea of the area the dog was lost in, leave an item of your clothing on the ground. Some dogs will return to the scent. It may be a good idea to take a notepad and pen with you to leave a note for other walkers to let them know not to pick up the clothing.
Secondary Actions (approx. 1 hour after dog going missing)
Post it on social media, some people leave it hours before they post and this can reduce the chance of you being reunited.
Example;
Our strategy on Dog Friendly Dorset to help find Newton was this:
1. I contacted Newton's mum and got the details of what happened, last time spotted, whether he had a collar on, if he was dog & human friendly, her contact details
2. Put an appeal on our Dog Friendly Dorset facebook group with a link to a whatsapp group called FIND NEWTON. Included: map of last sighting, pictures of him facing front and the side body, images (see below) of professional advice on how to search
3. Set up a WhatsApp group and link for people to join with live updates to coordinate. Set-up a meeting spot and time for everyone to spread out in pairs
4. Gave clear instructions to not shout his name when searching. Work silently. Only send sightings to Newton’s mum to come and retrieve him and not the whole group.
5. Create a poster (Dog Lost can help) that can be shared to the following:
Vets
Supermarkets
Convenience stores
Schools
Online groups
Please share with Dog Walkers, Delivery drivers and children (children spread news like wild fire)
It’s also worth sharing a post with as much description as possible to your local dog friendly Facebook groups (such as Dog Friendly Dorset. Dog Friendly Dorset Facebook group is a community page so we will help you. Ask us to come out to help you search, to distribute neighbourhood leaflets, whatever you need. We are here for you.
After a few hours:
Your dog may have gone into panic and there is a real danger of chasing them away. DO NOT call name, set up treat stations, seek help from Drone support.
See the images at the bottom of this post to understand the professional advice on what NOT TO DO IN A SEARCH SITUATION. Thank you to Lost Dog South for these and Dog Lost UK x
DRONE SAR UK https://www.facebook.com/groups/134125720518945
Contacts
If you lose your dog in Dorset, this list of contacts will be useful.
Contact DogLost*
Register with www.doglost.co.uk, it’s free and they will create a printable poster for you and send email alerts to local helpers.
If you create your own poster, make sure to include
A selection of up-to-date photos of your dog from several angles
Your dog’s name
Your contact numbers
Where and when your dog went missing, with a map
Description
Include tear-off tags at the bottom with your contact number
Where to display posters
Supermarket notice boards
Launderettes
Pet stores
Give to postmen/women and delivery persons like DFD and UPS to include in their run
Try and engage local children in the search, they will remind adults and keep the search going
Contact local dog walkers and trainers. If your dog has been rehomed the new owners may seek out training. Also, dog walkers will be covering your area frequently throughout the day.
Call the local Dog Warden if you lose your dog in Dorset.
Bournemouth 01202 45 13 06
Christchurch 08451 30 76 87
East Dorset 01202 63 90 30
North Dorset 01258 45 41 11
Poole 01202 26 17 00
Purbeck 01929 55 72 77
West Dorset 01305 25 10 10
Weymouth & Portland 01305 83 84 68
Get in touch with your vet/microchipping company if your dog is chipped. Make sure they have the most up to date contact information for you.
Contact other local vets in case anyone takes your dog there to be scanned. You can find contact numbers here: www.any-uk-vet.co.uk
Get in touch with local rescue centres
Margaret Green, Blandford 01929 471 340
Margaret Green, Church Knowle 01929 480 474
RSPCA, Dorchester 01305 259 672
RSPCA, Ashley Heath 0300 123 0749
Stolen Dogs
Report Stolen Dogs to the Police. Insist it is recorded as a theft and not a lost animal, and make sure you get a Crime Reference Number
Always report suspicious behaviour/attempted dog thefts and actual thefts to the Police
Dorset Police, 01202 222 222
Weymouth Police, 01305 222 222
Contact your Pet Insurance provider as they may be able to provide financial assistance.
There has also been reported success in contacting an Animal Communicator who can give you clues. Joanne Yeoh or Pea Horsely are recommended in Dorset.
Continuing the search
Keep searching every day on foot and in the car calling out your dog’s name in a happy voice. Dawn and dusk are the most likely times your dog will move to try and find you.
If you can, bring along one of your dog’s friends on a walk. Your dog will be able to pick up its scent.
Preventative Actions
NEVER leave your dog
Tied up outside a shop
On its own in the garden
Locked in your car/van
On its own in an unlocked house
Make sure your dog is microchipped
Good recall training
Invest in a tracking device like Tractive
Make the end of a walk (the most likely time for your dog to wander off) as exciting as the beginning by ending on some training tricks before getting them back on the lead
Take your dog to ‘scent and tracker’ training to hone its skills
Dog collars –
With your name, address, and contact number
It is UK legal requirement that dogs wear an ID tag or ID collar
Dog Walking Good Practice
Vary your walking route and timings, predictive behaviour is easier to target
Never let children walk the dog alone
Stay vigilant, don’t become distracted by your phone when you’re out walking your dog. Make mental notes of the people/vehicles you see – you never know what could be important if there’s an incident.
Try to avoid walking alone in quiet areas.
ALWAYS keep lots of up-to-date photos of your dog on your phone, from lots of angles, especially if they have any easily identifiable markings. Include photos of yourself with your dog in case you ever need to prove ownership (like we need an excuse to take more photos of our fur babies!)
Wear a whistle around your neck when you’re out walking. If someone is trying to steal your dog, blow your whistle AS LOUD AS YOU CAN!
You could also consider a ‘nanny cam’ for your home. So, you can check in on your dog(s) throughout the day.
If you hire a Dog Walker
Choose one who doesn’t have a sign written vehicle. When they park at your house it will be less obvious to any potential thieves in the area that dogs are being left home alone. It also means they are less likely to be followed by opportunist thieves whilst out walking your dog(s).
Ask your dog walker how many dogs they walk together. Make sure you’re comfortable that they are competent, they will be vigilant, and any risks will be minimised.
What to do if you FIND a Lost Dog
First – you MUST report it to the local dog warden
Bournemouth 01202 45 13 06
Christchurch 08451 30 76 87
East Dorset 01202 63 90 30
North Dorset 01258 45 41 11
Poole 01202 26 17 00
Purbeck 01929 55 72 77
West Dorset 01305 25 10 10
Weymouth & Portland 01305 83 84 68
Out of hours number 0800 50 60 50
Never chase. Stoop down, side on and call happily and lure with treats or even scatter some.
You can also take the dog (if safe to do so) to a local vet who can scan the dog to see if he/she is microchipped.
Emergency Vet Care (EVC) Poole, Bournemouth 01202 382 843 will take in dogs out of hours
Vets 4 Pets in Winton are open 24 hours 01202 635 160
Found dogs can also be registered on DogLost www.doglost.co.uk, a site that helps to reunite lost dogs with their owners. They create a page for the dog and alert people in the area. They also offer valuable help both online and on the ground to make sure dogs get home safely to their families.
Important: If you keep a lost dog, sell it, or give it away you could face prosecution!
If you’ve lost a pet due to theft or any other reason, the Blue Cross operates a national Pet Bereavement Support Service which can be contacted on 0800 096 6606 (8.30 am – 8.30 pm) or by email: pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk
Other Resources
*DogLost have volunteers in each area of Dorset as well as local coordinators and a police liaison volunteer. They run a Facebook Page called DogLostDorset and help owners by crossposting lost/found dogs. Local volunteers also help by postering and searching, owners are advised to post their missing/found dog on doglost.co.uk (insert link). We hold scanners, endoscopes, trail cameras and traps. Once a dog is registered on the website, the coordinator from that area will make contact with the owner to offer advice and help etc.
Special thanks to Nicky Crowe from Dog Friendly Dorset and the following contributors for all their support, information and advice for this blog on what to do if you lose your dog in Dorset:
Janice P (DogLost)
Carol S (DogLost)
Emma M (Emma’s Ark)
Dani L (Harbour Tails)
What to do if you lose your dog in Dorset, written and published in collaboration between Staglers and Nicky Crowe from Dog Friendly Dorset May 2021.
