Dog Gone Missing...Whats an Heiress to Do?

Pet Expert, Charlotte Reed, offers Paris Hilton advice on how to find her beloved Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, missing since August 11, 2004.

(PRWEB) August 18, 2004 -- Pet care expert, magazine columnist and radio and television pet care personality, Charlotte Reed offers Paris Hilton advice on how to search for her beloved, lost Tinkerbell.

Finding your beloved dog is difficult when you are under duress but it is important to act quickly," says Charlotte Reed. Miss Hilton will have to stop strolling the red carpet and spend quality time hitting the pavement in her Hollywood neighborhood looking for her tiny, four-legged friend. Just like on her hit tv show, The Simple Life 2: Road Trip, Paris should never go it alone. Perhaps, Nicole Richie and her dog, Honey will help Paris search for Tinkerbell."

Charlotte Reed offers eight strategies for finding a lost pet:

1.    Search your property. Conduct a thorough examination inside and outside of your home during the day and at night. Start inside by looking behind furniture and appliances, under beds, in closets, in boxes. Finish outside by checking drain and sewer pipes, the garage, other out buildings, and the shrubbery. Also, consider where you live. Do wild animals such as coyotes come down to your neighborhood looking for food? Look for signs of a struggle or blood at the property line.

2.    Make a flyer. Use 8- ½ X 11" fluorescent paper for higher visibility. Use a recent picture of your pet to make it easier for someone to spot her. List the date and place your dog was lost, breed, sex, age, weight, color, markings and a contact number. (Never give out all the identifying features so that if someone claims to have found your pet , they will be able to convince you by providing you with a full description.) Offer a reward. Post flyers at eye level on utility poles within a one mile radius from your home. Also, place them at veterinary offices, pet shops, grocery stores, grooming shops and neighborhood restaurants and local businesses. Frequently replenish flyer supplies at these locations.

3.    Walk the neighborhood. Take turns with family members and walk around the neighborhood during day and night hours. Carry a flashlight to check in dark places. Also, bring your pets favorite squeaky toy and dog treats. Call her name and make familiar sounds that she regularly hears. It is important to stop often, be quiet and listen for your pets reply.

4.    Tell your neighbors and those working in your neighborhood. Go from house to house and introduce yourself. Explain that your dog is missing. Tell neighborhood staff (housekeepers, guards, caretakers, gardeners) and municipal workers (postal carriers, garbage pick-up crews, police officers). Give them a flyer so that they can help you find your dog.

5.    Visit your local animal control, humane societies, animal shelters. Control agencies usually keep an animal for only three (3) days. Visit these organizations by taking turns with family, friends and others. Leave flyers so that they can look for your pet too!

6.    Contact your breed rescue group. Usually, pure bred dogs are rescued from shelters or animal control by breed rescue groups. These volunteers save their breeds and try to find homes for them quickly. Visit the American Kennel Club website (www.akc.org) to find the breed rescue chapter nearest you.

7.    Find out if your pet has been killed on the road. Call the city, county and state department of transportation to see if you pet may have been killed on the road. Dogs are generally picked up every 24 hours.

8. Beware! Never wander around the neighborhood alone looking for your pet. Also, be cautious if some calls claiming to have your pet. Have them meet you with a family member or friend at a public location.

Charlotte Reed is a pet expert and columnist for several magazines, including Time Incs All You, Fido Friendly , Good Housekeeping and The Resident. A former attorney, Charlottes love for animals led her to switch careers and found Two Dogs & A Goat, a New York-based complete pet care service in 1996. Charlotte has shared her expertise on pets with millions of people through her Pet-Owning Made Easy series of booklets and her appearances on ABCs The View, CNN, Good Day New York, Fox Pet News and other TV shows. She is currently writing two books on pet-related topics. She can speak about everything from pet health and insurance to pet etiquette.

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