Petfinder.com forums :: View topic - Sept. 21- 27th What To Do When A Pet Goes Missing?! [ ]

This month we have the pleasure of welcoming Brian Newsham from the Missing Pet Partnership!

Brian Newsham is a certified Missing Animal Response Technician and a lead coordinator for the first-ever community-based lost pet search-and-rescue team. Since 2008, Brian has worked to solve lost pet investigations through Missing Pet Partnership (www.missingpetpartnership.org), a grassroots national nonprofit organization dedicated to reuniting lost pets with their families. His work includes utilizing law enforcement investigative techniques and technologies to solve lost pet investigations like search probability theory, feline behavioral profiling, evidence analysis, deductive reasoning, high tech equipment, cat detection dogs, and scent tracking dogs trained to track the scent trail of lost dogs. Brian has appeared in the TV program TV Made Me Do It and in articles published by The Federal Way Mirror and The Seattle Times. He lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife Marie and their yellow Labrador, Lucy, who Brian is training to track lost pets.

Posted: Tue Sep 15, 2009 7:46 am Post subject:

I know I'm jumping in here early, but Lucy is a nice name.

My questions are not regarding lost pets, but found ones. Particularly cats, since our local shelter doesn't take or at all deal with cats.

What steps should we take to try to reunite them with their owners? (After checking with neighbors, I go to vet for chip check, and guestimates on age, whether they think animal is fixed, etc.)

What information should we publicize, and what should we hold back?

How widely should we publicize? How far could we expect that the animal has traveled before we found them?

Thank you.

Brian's Answer:

Hi PrincessLucy,

First of all let me thank Petfinder.com for having me here. I'm looking forward to all the great questions about lost pets, and hopefully I can help educate and inspire people on how to look for their pets, or in your case help you find the owners of pets you've found.

Assuming the pet does not have identification, or the identification information isn't enough to find the owner here are some steps you can take to reuniting a lost pet with its owner:

1. Report the found pet to your local animal authorities (local police, animal control or an animal shelter). This is the first and most important step to take since it is the law in many places, and it's also the first place that the owner should think to look. If possible, bring the pet home with you while you search for the owner. This can give the cat or dog you've found more time before possibly being adopted to another family or euthanized.

2. Check for an identification microchip or tattoo. You can then work with the microchip company to find the owner. In some cases you will find that even though the pet has a microchip, it hasn't been properly registered to the owner or the contact information is out of date. Write down the identification number so you can refer to it later.

3. Check lost pet classified in the newspaper or online. There are lots of websites like Petfinders.com or Craigslist.org with sections dedicated to lost and found pets. You may also want to check breed specific lost pet websites.

4. Check lost pet posters on the street, at local vets, pet stores, or even shelters in nearby cities. It's possible the pet traveled before you found it, or maybe the owner forgot to put a poster in the shelter that's closest to you.

5. Make found pet posters to put on the street, in vets offices, pet stores and shelters in nearby cities. The bigger and brighter the better. Be sure to place a poster at the location you found the pet, and at nearby intersections. I will discuss what information to put on these posters next. See this page for how to make highly visible and effective posters, just replace "REWARD LOST DOG" with "FOUND DOG" or "FOUND CAT": http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/recovery-posters.php

6. Place found pet classified ads on Petfinder.com or Craiglist.org. There are many other local lost pet websites that will allow you to post ads for free. Post to as many as you can, but definitely start with the two I mentioned.

7. Think Lost Not Stray - Remember that this is probably someone's pet that is loved and missed. It's a wonderful feeling to bring a lost pet back into someone's life. Your time and effort will be worth it.

8. Be patient and open minded - There are countless reasons why this pet has become lost, and just as many reasons why the owner hasn't been able to find you or their pet. People leave town on vacation or for funerals and may not even be aware the pet has escaped. It may be days or weeks before they return to notice that the pet is missing (Also don't assume that the pet sitter that was feeding them at the owners house has noticed that 1 of the 8 cats is missing). Many pet owners don't know how to properly search for their pets. They put up too few or too small signs that have gone unoticed. Or maybe they are simply unable to search because of mobility issues. Whatever the reason, it's up to you to help that cat or dog find its way home to its family.

I'd now like to talk about what information to publicize about the pet you've found, but first let me describe the overall process. When placing classified ads or making posters, have the owner contact you by phone or by email rather than meeting them in person. This way you can have them describe the lost pet without them seeing it. You'll find that the more rare or valuable the breed, the more calls you'll get claiming to be the owner. You want to make sure the pet gets back to the rightful owner afterall. Avoid asking leading questions such as "Was your cat wearing a purple collar?" and instead ask open ended questions like "Was your cat wearing a collar, if so what color?" Keep in mind that the pets appearance could have changed since the owner last saw the pet. A pet can lose it's collar overnight, and may have lost weight if it's been lost long enough. It may have new wounds, or old wounds may have healed since the time it escaped. In some rare instances fur can change color or texture slightly due to being outdoors, and eating a different diet than they do at home.

Always leave out the most distinguishing characterstics about the pet you've found from all advertising. If the only information you leave out is the gender, a false owner has a 50% chance of guessing that piece of information and wrongfully claiming a pet that isn't theirs.

How much information you release will depend on how unique the pet is. At a minimum you should release the species and breed. You may need to consult an expert such as a veterinarian to identify the breed, but in many cases the approximate breed or breed group should be sufficient (I.e. Terrier or Shepherd mix). If the breed is more rare, for instance a Scottish Fold (cat) you can keep the gender a secret. There probably aren't many Scottish Folds running loose in one neighborhood. If the breed is more common, you may have to add more information such as fur color or even pattern: Female, Domestic Short Hair, Gray Tabby.
I rarely recommend releasing a photograph but if you must, avoid including the distinguishing characteristics in the photo. Can you take the photo from an angle that obscures the red collar with a bell? Can you hide the pattern in the fur that's shaped like a heart? Make sure the person calling is giving you more information than can be gleaned from the photo you posted.

There will be cases where even after describing their pets appearance verbally, you still might not be sure if it's the right owner or the right pet. Try having them describe a behavior of the pet, such as a distintive meow/bark, or maybe the way they might respond to certain commands or cues.

When you've established that the pet belongs to the caller, arrange to meet them in a public place to hand over the pet. Don't go alone, bring a buddy with you.

As for your final question about far to publicize, it's impossible to say. But here are some general rules to go by:

- Dogs will usually travel farther than cats.

This first rule is complicated by the fact that people perceive a cat sitting in front yard with no owner around is "just out for a walk" while a dog with no owner around isn't supposed to running around loose (think leash laws.) People rarely try to rescue the cat, and it is allowed to continue traveling. Although cats are very territorial they can often travel miles from home before being "noticed" as lost.

- Skittish or aloof pets will travel farther than the friendly pet that walks up to the first person they see. Skittish pets will run away from would be rescuers.

- Mixed breeds will travel farther than purebreds because people see purebreds as more valuable, and are more likely to intervene. Mixed breeds are more likely to be seen as strays or ferals. This is a misconception, just ask the heartbroken owner of a lost mixed breed.

- Large dogs will travel farther than small dogs. Small dogs are seen as more vulnerable, and are more likely to rescued sooner.

- Dog breeds that are perceived as dangerous, agressive or unfriendly will travel further than breeds that are percieved as friendly.

- Both cats and dogs will travel farther in rural areas than in cities where more people will notice them running loose.

Use these rules to help guage how far away to place your street posters. Posters placed in pet shops, vets offices, and other stores should be placed much further since residential areas are often separate from commercial areas where the stores are located.

I hope this information can inspire people to help get lost pets back to their families. Please see Missing Pet Partnership's page on "Think Lost Not Stray" for more information: http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/recovery-thinklost.php

Thanks,

Brian Newsham

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 3:21 pm Post subject:

Hello!

One of my dogs came from an abusive situation and as a result is very fearful and shy around people he doesn’t know. Even though he always wears a collar and has a microchip, if he ever got lost it would be very difficult for a stranger to approach him to get this information. Do you have any suggestions on how to approach a very timid lost pet?

Brian's Answer:

Hi KellyT,

Excellent question!

As a Missing Animal Response Technician (or MAR Tech), finding a lost cat or dog is sometimes the easy part. Catching them can be the tricky part, even more so when the pet has a skittish or fearful temperment.

Here are the keep things to remember when approaching a timid pet:

1. Use calming signals such as yawning, turning your head away, and licking your lips. You want to communicate to the pet that you aren't a threat. From a distance you can look towards your pet (don't stare) and when they look at you, turn your head to the side.

2. Get down low, lay on your side or your back. Assuming a smaller profile will also make you less threatening. This is especially important for smaller pets. While on your side you can slide a little bit closer at a time. Laying on your back is a submissive posture that may draw your pet closer to you. Wait until you are relatively close before getting on your back. Avoid crouching on your feet while facing your pet. This can sometimes appear as though you are ready to pounce.

3. Approach with an indirect or arched path. Appear interested in something else. You can also take steps to the side to close the distance between you and the pet. Don't make direct eye contact, instead use your peripheral vision to assess your pet's response. If they look nervous or ready to run, slow down and take a less direct approach. Try fiddling with some grass or something on the ground.

4. Talk to the pet in a normal tone of voice, but do not use the pets name. Also avoid using a diminutive tone (baby talk). Calling the pets name can become a trigger for it to run. While on the loose, your pet may be approached by other people calling "here doggy doggy" in a "baby talk" voice just before they lunge to grasp your pet. They will quickly realize that this means its time to leave.

5. Use treats. If your pet has been lost for a while, it will probably be hungry. Bring some smelly food like tuna, jack mackerel or hot dogs. While low to the ground, feign eating them while softly making "nom nom" noises. This will work best if you can approach from upwind of the pet.

Finally, as an added bonus tip:

If you have an extremely shy or timid pet, consider adding a tag to their collar that says "I'M FEARFUL, NOT FERAL" for cats or "I'M AFRAID, NOT ABUSED" for dogs. In either case, a well meaning person that finds your pet may mistake your pet for a stray, or may even assume YOU were the abuser and might resist returning your pet.

Brian Newsham

Posted: Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:30 am Post subject:

can a ferret be microchipped ? mine almost got through the screen door the other day

Brian's Answer:

Hi zero,

Yes, you can microchip a ferret and many other small animals as well such as birds, snakes, lizards, mice, rabbits, turtles and many more.

Microchips are wonderful tools that when "properly" used can reunite lost pets with their owners very quickly. I emphasize "properly" because once a microchip is injected under the skin you must remember to activate or register the chip with the microchip company. Equally important is to update your registration whenever your address or phone number changes.

When was the last time you verified this information was correct? If you aren't sure, bring your pet to your local vet or shelter to have them read the microchip id number. Then call your microchip company to see what name, address and phone number they have on file.

Additionally, your story lends extra support for microchipping indoor only pets. Even though you may not intend to let your pet outside, there are countless examples of pets pushing open a screen, or accidentally being let out by visitors, guests or service workers.

Thanks,

Brian Newsham
Missing Pet Partnership
MAR Tech/Webmaster
www.missingpetpartnership.org

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:04 pm Post subject:

I'm curious about your title, "Missing Animal Response Technician." Can you tell me how you became certified and by whom? How can someone else become certified as a Missing Animal Response Technician? What kind of training is needed? How many hours? Thanks!

Brian's answer:

Hi katiewithane,

"Missing Animal Response Technician," often abbreviated as "MAR Tech", is the designation given by Missing Pet Partnership for individuals trained as pet detectives. Becoming a MAR Tech requires about 6 days (40-50 hours) of training on topics ranging from lost pet behavior to search & recovery applications. The course is given by Kat Albrecht, the founder of Missing Pet Partnership. Most of the time is spent in the classroom listening to lectures, and watching video demonstrations. One day is spent on an actual search for a lost pet with a forensic demonstration in the evening. Often there is an opportunity to view evaluations of search dogs that will be trained to search for lost pets.

The MAR Tech course certifies you to conduct independent lost pet investigations. Topics include analysis of lost pet behaviors, search strategies, surveillance equipment applications, where lost pets go, lost pet forensics, search probability theory, and the utilization of trained search dogs. There is a final written exam to achieve certification.

The class is traditionally given 2 or 3 times a year in a single week, usually in Seattle Washington, but occasionally in other cities across the country. The recent economy has led to a downturn in registrations, which has caused us to cancel future classes. The class is being offered in a different format with class being held on Saturdays from October 3rd to November 14th of 2009 at South Seattle Community College. If you live in the Seattle area and are interested in taking this course, sign up now by visiting http://learnatsouth.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=1010 then click on "Pets" under the Enrichment category.

If you are interested in being certified as a MAR Technician, please contact Missing Pet Partnership through our website http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/contact.php

Thanks,

Brian Newsham
Missing Pet Partnership
MAR Tech/Webmaster
www.missingpetpartnership.org

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