Flyer maker › Guides · updated Nov 8, 2026
Lost your dog? The first 24 hours
Right now: search on foot, call your microchip company, and call every shelter within 20 miles. Then make flyers.
- Search the area on foot, calmly. Walk and drive slowly around where your dog went missing, calling in a normal voice. Shaking a treat bag works for many dogs. Ask neighbours to check garages, sheds and under decks.
- Don't chase. A frightened dog, even a friendly one, may run from people it knows. If you see your dog, sit or crouch, turn sideways and toss treats.
- Leave scent at home. Put a worn piece of your clothing and your dog's bed outside your door, with water. Many dogs find their way back at night.
- Call your microchip company. Report the dog missing and check your phone number and address are current.
- Call and visit shelters and animal control. Every one within 20 miles, and visit in person every day or two. Descriptions over the phone often go wrong.
- Call local vets and emergency clinics in case someone brings in an injured dog.
- Make and post flyers. Make one here: large photo, big "LOST DOG", your phone number. Put them up within a mile, at eye level.
- Post online. A free report on a lost and found site reaches people searching near you, and check found reports every day.
Watch out for scams
Someone who says they have your dog but wants money first, or asks for a code sent to your phone, is almost always a scammer. Ask them to describe a marking you didn't put on the flyer, and only meet in a public place.
Keep going
Dogs are found days and weeks later. Refresh your flyers, keep checking shelters, and update your report.
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