Steps To Take If Your Pet Is Lost

1. Start Your Search Immediately

• Do not wait. Starting days or weeks after your pet goes missing greatly reduces the chances of recovery.
• Stay calm and think through when, where, and how your pet may have gotten loose.
• Secure your home and notify everyone in the household. Everyone needs to be on the same page and working together as a team.

2. Create a PetFBI Listing

• Go to www.petfbi.org and create a Lost Pet listing.
• This will automatically:
  • Generate an easy, printable flyer
  • Share your pet’s information to these Facebook Pages:
    • Lost Dogs of Wisconsin (for dogs). A caseworker will be assigned and reach out via the contact information provided.
    • Lost Cats of Wisconsin (for cats)
• Update the listing immediately with any changes or sightings.

3. Contact Local Resources

• Report your pet missing to:
  • Local animal control
  • Area shelters, rescues, and humane societies
  • Veterinary clinics
  • Police departments (non-emergency)
• Provide your PetFBI flyer whenever possible.

4. Use Social Media Strategically

• Share the PetFBI flyer, not just screenshots.
• Post in:
  • Neighborhood and community Facebook groups
  • Lost & found pet groups
• Ask people not to chase dogs. The only individual who should attempt to approach your pet is you.
• Request sightings with exact locations and times.

5. Use Road Signs Effectively (DO NOT SKIP THIS)

• Create 24" x 36" Road Signs. 
• You don't need anything complicated. A simple design is easier to create, and more memorable to individuals who see the sign.
• Place Signs:
  • Near the last seen location
  • Nearest cross roads
  • Within a 1–2 block radius (cats)
  • IF ALLOWED: vet clinics, shelters, gas stations, and parks

6. Understand How Lost Pets Behave (View our Animal Behavior Page)

7. Search Strategically

Dogs

• Start at the last known location.
• Walk and drive the area slowly, especially at dawn and dusk.
• Call calmly; avoid yelling. If you see your dog, get down low to the ground or sit down. Gently talk and call to your dog to convince them to come by you. *Some dogs won't even recognize their owner
• Bring a leash, high-value treats, and familiar sounds.

Cats

• Conduct a physical search, especially at night with a flashlight (eye shine).
• Check thoroughly: under decks, porches, garages, sheds, crawl spaces, window wells, and dense shrubs.
• Get low, look carefully, and listen.
• Talk to neighbors and ask them to keep an eye out. Also ask them to watch their security camera footage

8. Set Up a Home Base

Dogs

• Place near the last known location: worn clothing, dog bed, or blanket, and water.

Cats

• Place near your home: familiar bedding and water.
• Do not place the litter box outside or use clumps from inside the litter box. This is a proven myth and will do more harm than good.

9. Use Humane Traps When Needed

Dogs (60% of the time needed)

• Consider traps for fearful or flight-risk dogs

Cats (80% of the time needed)

• Traps are effective, especially for skittish or indoor-only cats.
• Use strong-smelling food and monitor closely. 

10. Know When to Ask for Professional Help

• Contact a reputable lost pet recovery organization.

Final Notes

• Keep your PetFBI listing updated.
• Ask the public to report sightings instead of attempting capture.
• Avoid spreading conflicting information.
• Stay persistent — reunions often happen even after several days or weeks.

We work closely with pet owners and partner organizations to safely recover lost or missing dogs and cats using proven, humane trapping methods. Our services are provided at no cost. However, donations are always appreciated and go directly toward purchasing new traps, maintaining equipment, creating reusable lost-pet yard signs, and supporting other recovery-related needs.

We proudly collaborate with Lost Dogs of Wisconsin and have also worked alongside organizations such as Sky Guardian Rescue (Waukesha County) and Thermal Drone SAR Services (Burlington, WI).

Our recovery process has been refined through years of experience and has proven successful time and time again. Because each situation is unique and safety is our top priority, we reserve the right to withdraw our services and/or traps if an issue arises. Our goal is always the same: a safe, stress-free return home for the animal.

To monitor live traps, we utilize Spypoint cellular trail cameras. Camera login information is shared with the owner and/or property owner to ensure transparency and open communication regarding trap placement and activity.

Dog Trapping Equipment

• Two 6-foot Tomahawk Live Traps
• One older-style 4-foot trap
• Currently gathering materials to build a Missy Trap
  • Remaining items needed: overhead netting material and Raytripper remote trigger system
     

Cat Trapping Equipment

• Multiple styles of humane traps
• Our preferred options include Tomahawk Live Trap gravity traps and a drop trap
   

Every decision we make is guided by what is safest and best for the animal. 🐾