Lost Pet Recovery
A pet going missing is every owner's worst fear — but acting fast and methodically dramatically improves the odds of a safe reunion. Use this step-by-step plan for the critical first 24 hours, then search the global pet database by microchip or ID.
Most pets are found within a mile of home, often within the first hour. Walk the area calmly, call your pet's name, and check hiding spots — under decks and vehicles, in garages, sheds and dense bushes. Scared pets often freeze and hide silently nearby, so search again at dusk and night with a flashlight when it is quieter.
Call and, where possible, visit every animal shelter, municipal pound and veterinary clinic within a 10–15 mile radius. Give them a clear description, a recent photo and your pet's microchip number. Visual identification in person is far more reliable than a phone description, so keep checking back daily.
A microchip only works if its registry has your current phone number. Look up your chip number, verify your contact details, and flag your pet as missing. With Petso, your pet's verified digital identity and records are already in one place — so a finder, vet or shelter can identify them and reach you fast.
Post your pet to neighbourhood and lost-pet groups on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor and X, and ask people to share. Search found-pet listings and global databases — including Petso Global Pet Search — by microchip or ID to see whether someone has already reported finding your pet.
Use a large, clear photo and the word LOST in bold. Post flyers at vet offices, pet stores, grocery stores, parks and busy intersections near where your pet went missing. Include your phone number and the area last seen — but never your home address.
If your pet is skittish, leave out their bed, a worn piece of your clothing and strong-smelling food near where they were last seen, and check it with a motion camera. Many lost dogs return at dusk. Keep listings active, revisit shelters in person, and do not give up — pets are reunited weeks and even months later.
Petso gives every pet a verified digital identity and a single secure home for their records — so identification never depends on one scattered registry being up to date. If your pet is found anywhere in the world, Petso Global Pet Search lets a finder, vet or shelter look them up by ID and reach you directly. And because ownership and history are tamper-evident, you can prove a found pet is yours.
Search your immediate neighbourhood on foot — most pets stay within a mile of home. Call their name, check hiding spots, and leave a door open or food out at home. Then immediately notify nearby shelters and verify your microchip contact details.
A microchip stores a unique ID that any vet or shelter can scan to look up your registered contact details. It only works if the registry information is current. Keeping your pet's identity and records in one verified place — like Petso — means a finder can identify your pet and reach you without delay.
Search neighbourhood and lost-and-found groups, contact local shelters, and use online databases that let you search by microchip or pet ID. Petso Global Pet Search lets anyone look up a found pet's ID to help reunite it with its family worldwide.
Do not stop after a few days. Cats in particular often hide nearby for one to two weeks, and dogs are reunited weeks or months later. Keep your online listings active, revisit shelters in person regularly, and maintain food and a motion camera near the last-seen location.