🐾 Lost Pet Resources
Losing a pet is overwhelming—but you don’t have to go through it alone. We’ve gathered the most effective tools, sites, and proven strategies to help you take action quickly and improve your chances of bringing your pet home safe.
Two of our favorite groups:
👃 Scent Items That Lure
Dogs navigate the world through smell—leverage that to bring them back.
- Place your dog’s favorite human’s dirty socks, underwear, or shirt outside.
- Add their bed, crate, or blanket.
- Include toys or a blanket from a bonded pet in the home.
- Put laundry or bedding where the wind can carry the scent (porch, yard, or cracked garage).
- Stay calm when they return—let them approach and reward gently.
Scent Trail Tip:
Drag your pup’s favorite blanket (wetted down) or your worn clothing from where you think they might be, all the way home. This leaves a trail that can guide them back.
📞 Who to Call
- Non-Emergency Police/Dispatch – Report your lost dog and ask which shelter your municipality uses. Some towns contract with different shelters.
- All Nearby Shelters – If you live near a county line or have a running breed (husky, shepherd, cattle dog), also call surrounding shelters.
- Your Microchip Company – Make sure your contact info is up to date and have the chip flagged as lost.
📌 Online Reporting Resources
Lost Dogs of Wisconsin (PetFBI)
PetFBI is the national lost pet database used by Lost Dogs of America states. In Wisconsin, this is the most widely used resource and where most reunions happen.
When you get to a payment screen, don’t worry—you don’t have to pay. Your free report is filed automatically. Just go back to the homepage and click My Pets to find your report.
A newer but fast-growing national lost-and-found pet database that is quickly becoming a go-to resource.
Another great national site that also creates a clear, effective flyer for you to use.
Submit a lost pet report and flag your dog’s microchip. Be sure to also notify the microchip company your dog is registered through.
A major microchip company with a lost-and-found database open to all pet owners.
Generates a strong flyer template and helps spread awareness.
Provides flyer support and lost dog reporting tools.
Another free option with premium services available (not necessary to purchase for effectiveness).
🏘️ Neighborhood Apps
A highly effective, neighborhood-specific platform where many lost pets are reunited through local community alerts.
You don’t need to own a Ring doorbell to use this app. Many Ring users post pet sightings and videos here, making it a valuable tool for spreading the word quickly.
📄 Flyers That Work
- Use PetFBI.org’s flyer generator.
- Clear, full-sized photo is crucial.
- Don’t use your dog’s name if skittish. Add “DO NOT CHASE.”
⚠️ Rules:
- Illegal to put flyers in/on mailboxes.
- Some municipalities (e.g., Pleasant Prairie, WI) ban public flyer posting—check codes first.
- Hand flyers directly to people or place in doors.
Pro Tip: Print full-size for businesses, and 4-to-a-page (4x6 size) for handing out door-to-door.
🚧 Road Signs
- Use neon poster board (pink, yellow, orange).
- Tape an 8x10 photo in the center.
- Write LOST + your phone number in giant letters on top and bottom.
- Nothing else on the sign.
- Mount to a yard sign frame and protect with a clear bag.
- Place in high-traffic areas—stop signs, shopping center entrances.
🚫 Not allowed on numbered highways, interstates, or construction zones.
🐱 Lost Cats
Cats behave very differently than dogs when they go missing. Understanding their instincts can make all the difference in getting them back home safely.
👉 Indoor-only cats are usually very close by—most are found within 5–7 houses of where they went missing. They often hide silently in tight spaces and may not respond to calls.
👉 Movement patterns: Lost cats often stay hidden during the day but become more active and move around after sunset.
👉 Search tip: Walk slowly around your neighborhood at night with a flashlight.
Shine it under porches, decks, sheds, bushes, and cars—cat eyes will often reflect the light back at you. This method is one of the most effective ways to spot a hiding cat.
For a deep dive into cat behavior and expert recovery tips, we recommend this excellent resource from Missing Animal Response Network (the first pet detective organization in the country, and the group that trained us):
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