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Lost Dog

Urgent: Lost NMDR Dog Hotline

CRITICAL NOTICE: This hotline and protocol are strictly for dogs adopted from National Mill Dog Rescue. If your missing dog was adopted from another organization, please contact your local Humane Society or Animal Control immediately.

If your NMDR rescue survivor has escaped, do not wait. Take immediate action.

Step 1: Activate the NMDR Lost Dog Team

Call or email our dedicated recovery team right now. If we do not answer immediately, leave a voicemail and proceed to Step 2—do not wait for a callback to start searching.

Immediate Field Search Protocol

1. Check the Immediate Area First

  • Search the Property: If they escaped from home, thoroughly check the garage, under bushes, inside sheds, and under decks. Survivors instinctively seek tight, dark hiding spots.

  • Determine the Path: Gauge the direction the dog was heading. Look for the “path of least resistance”—areas with the lowest amount of traffic, noise, and activity.

2. Organize Your Search Team (The Golden Rule: NO CHASING)

  • Spread Out: Gather as many volunteers as possible and move outward from the last known sighting.

  • STRICTLY FORBIDDEN: Do not call out or chase the dog. Calling or running toward a terrified breeding-facility survivor will trigger panic and cause them to bolt further away.

  • The Goal: Instruct searchers to simply keep eyes on the dog from a distance and call you immediately with the exact location.

3. Deploy Scents

  • Create a Scent Trail: Place familiar items outside your home or at the exact escape location. Mingle your scent with the dog’s scent by putting out their unwashed bedding, your worn socks, and a bowl of food.

Communication & Administrative Steps

1. Alert the Professionals

  • Flag the Microchip: Call your dog’s microchip company immediately to report them missing and confirm your contact information is 100% accurate.

  • Notify Shelters: Contact your local animal shelters and rescues to file a missing pet report. Check back with them daily.

2. Flood Social Media

  • Post Everywhere: Post immediately on NextDoor, Facebook local community groups, and dedicated lost pet pages (Search: “Lost Pets [Your City]”).

  • Crucial Post Text: Explicitly write: “DO NOT CHASE OR CALL. IF SEEN, KEEP EYES ON DOG AND CALL IMMEDIATELY.”

  • Local Resources: Download Printable List of Colorado Springs Lost Pet Pages & Numbers

3. Create High-Visibility Posters

Delegate flyer creation to a friend so you can stay focused on the physical search.

  • Flyer Safety: Do not include your last name, your address, or your pet’s name on the flyer. Provide multiple cell phone numbers. Access Sample Flyer Template

  • Foot Patrol: Hand flyers directly to neighborhood mail carriers, UPS/FedEx drivers, construction workers, neighbors, and local veterinary clinics.

  • Fluorescent Intersections: Attach flyers to large, bright neon poster boards (available at Walmart or Walgreens). Use duct tape to secure them to telephone poles high above your head for maximum driver visibility. Place these at major intersections within a 2-to-5-mile radius of the escape point.

Scam Warning: Protect Yourself

Scammers frequently target heartbroken pet owners. Protect yourself with these rules:

  • Never wire or send money to anyone claiming to have your dog or demanding “shipping fees.”

  • Never pay a reward until your dog is safely back in your physical possession.

  • Always meet in a public place to retrieve your dog. If you feel unsafe or encounter resistance, contact local law enforcement immediately.

Additional Recovery Resources

If your pup is not found on day one, utilize these advanced tracking and trapping tools:

 

Prevention Safety Tips

Lost Dog Prevention Strategies

Dog Sitter Information Form