Do This First

Before reaching out to R2H for help finding your lost pet, please follow the steps below. This ultimately helps us help you.

Get Started

Steps to take before contacting us

Print Signs

Print up some signs and post them in the various areas so people driving or walking by can learn about your lost pet. Have smaller versions of your sigh to hand to people as you talk to them. Be sure your signs can be easily read by people in cars -- simple "lost dog (or cat)", a full-body photo, and in the biggest font, your phone number.

Post on Facebook

Post in the various Facebook groups that your pet has gone missing and provide a good, full body picture. Be careful taking advice from people on social media. They mean well but are not trained, and we find much of the advice given is actually dangerous. And be sure to check the pages for posts about found pets.

Post on Nextdoor

Post in the various Nextdoor groups that your pet has gone missing and provide a good, full body picture of your pet. And be sure to check the site for posts about found pets.

Neighbors app by Ring

The neighbors app does not require you to have a ring camera. You can post your info there as it provides an added network to get the word out about your lost pet. And be sure to check the site for posts about found pets.

Anchor 1

Should I search for my lost dog? Search for up to an hour. After that, you are likely pushing the dog further away. One of the few exceptions to this is if your dog is elderly or has mobility issues. If that is the case, keep searching!
Now is when you need to contact all of your neighbors and get signs up. What we don't know is whether your dog is out having some fun, or if he is in fear/flight mode. When a dog goes into fear/flight mode, their brains "flip" -- they won't recognize their name, they won't recognize you, they won't recognize anything that is otherwise normal for them. Their goal is to avoid humans. It's hard for owners to understand this until they actually experience it. So, what should you do? If you have an outdoor camera (like a Ring or a trail camera) put food out within view of it. That way, you will know who comes to eat. Will it attract wildlife? Yes -- but that just proves that it's working as a lure. Also, watch this video that explains "calming signals": https://youtu.be/cmiZzB643is?si=2C9pteY85HSXH9cn If you see your dog, take a deep breath before doing the calming signals -- remember, dogs have around 300 million scent receptors. They are used to detect when one's blood sugar drops, when a seizure is coming, and to detect hidden drugs. Things that our noses can't imagine! So, they will know if you have an adrenaline spike and they will think that there is something to be anxious about. You don't want your anxiety to cause the dog to run. So, take a deep breath. And continue taking them as you feel your anxiety increase. Calming signals can take minutes or hours -- be patient! If the dog runs, that's when you will likely need someone (like us!) to set a trap.
Please do not follow the advice of well-meaning people on social media. They are not trained or experienced with lost pet rescue. Most are just repeating things that they have heard or read somewhere, and it may not be appropriate for your particular situation. Feel free to contact us for advice that is tailored to your particular situation.