Lost and Found

What to do if your pet goes missing

Losing a pet is upsetting, and every year thousands of animals go missing from home. Many are found and returned safely, but the more methods you try at once, the better your chances of a happy ending. Here’s where to start.

Update your details.

Check that your contact information is current on both the microchip register and your local council’s dog registration. Vets and the SPCA scan incoming animals for a microchip and check registration tags, so accurate details make it much easier for them to reach you.

Search your property thoroughly.

Look in sheds, garages, under the house and in any hiding spots. A frightened, sick or injured pet may tuck themselves away for days and stay quiet even when you call.

Talk to your neighbours.

Knock on doors nearby, share a photo, and ask them to check their own sheds and gardens too.

List on Animal Register NZ.

This is the country’s main lost and found database. Create a “lost” listing at animalregister.co.nz/LostPet and check their “found” listings regularly, as this is where SPCA logs stray animals that come into their care.

Make a flyer.

Include a clear photo, a description, and more than one contact number. Drop copies at notice boards, letterboxes, supermarkets, libraries and community centres. If you’ve listed on Animal Register NZ, you can print a flyer straight from their site.

Call and visit local vets.

Many clinics keep their own lost and found boards, so a phone call and a flyer left in person both help.

Spread the word on social media.

Post on local lost and found pet pages and ask friends to share, the wider the reach, the better your odds. Animal Register NZ listings can also be shared directly from their site.

Check Trade Me.

Their Lost & Found section is worth a look in case someone’s posted about finding your pet.

Contact your council.

A stray or wandering dog may have been impounded, so check with your local council and consider dropping a flyer at their animal shelter.

Reach out to other welfare organisations.

Local rescues and shelters are worth a call too, in case your pet has come into their care.

Check your old address.

If you’ve recently moved, pets sometimes try to find their way back to a previous home. Let the new occupants and old neighbours know, and ask them to check sheds and garages.

Try familiar sounds.

A quiet walk around the neighbourhood at night, calling your pet’s name or shaking a treat packet, can sometimes bring them out.

Don’t give up.

Cats especially can turn up safe after days or even weeks away. Keep searching, keep sharing, and keep checking back, and consider microchipping for next time, it makes a real difference in getting pets home safely.