Found dog- How to find your dogs if they get lost.

Today I was on a great run in the Chuckanuts here in Bellingham, and towards the end of the run my running partner, Hilary, and I found a dog just wandering around. We ran past him, and as we looked back he was following us; we urged him to go back, but he kept following. We backtracked a bit, but there was no one around. We also stood still for awhile, hoping he'd catch a scent of his owners and go find them. Yet, he followed us all the way to the car. There was no one to be found in the lot, and when I put the tailgate down, he immediately hopped into the bed of the truck. We called the humane society to see if someone had reported a losing a dog, but they were closed and their message said to call 911 on the weekends. 911 contacted the person on call from the humane society and sent someone over to pick the dog up. We hope that his owner gets in touch with them, soon!

So what should you do if you lose your dog or find a dog?

1. Before your dog is ever lost make sure that he/she has ID tags; this dog had tags but the name and number were worn off and not legible.
2. Consider getting your dog "chipped." Then if your dog loses their tags, or for whatever reason they were not wearing them, the humane society will know right away who the dog belongs to.
3. If your dog is lost, call the humane society and/or animal control ASAP.
4. Tell people in the area that you lost your dog and ask them if they have seen him/her.
   
5. Place an ad on craigslist. Many people check there to see if someone may have lost a dog.
6. Place signs with a photo up around the area where they became lost and maybe also post signs around the city.
7. If you lost your dog in a neighborhood or city, tell the local postal, FedEx, and UPS person that you lost your dog.
   
8. Let all of your friends know, maybe they know someone that knows someone...
9. Place an ad in the paper or call the local radio station or news station and see if they can help.
10. Go back with friends to where you lost the dog and search the area. Bring a toy that they like, especially one that makes noise.
11. Last but not least, don't give up; often it takes time. And, some dogs eventually find their own way home.

This is not an exhaustive list. There are many different ways to find or return a lost dog, but these are just a few ideas to get you headed in the right direction. If you have additional ways to help others locate or return a lost dog, please let everyone know.