July is the month most pets get lost. Here's what to do if yours goes missing.
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- From fireworks and outdoor parties to vacations and house sitters, July is the month for a spike in having lost pets.
KDKA-TV consumer investigator Meghan Schiller shares the five tips you need to do as soon as your pet goes missing to get them back home quickly and safely.
Claire Pro is a busy mom who is juggling two little kids and a high energy pup.
"As soon as I see a number on my phone that I don't have saved in my phone I'm like, 'oh god, did my dog get out?'" Pro said.
Her dog Maggie is no stranger to the South Side Facebook pages. Pro is just one of countless pet parents harnessing the power of social media.
"It happens all the time. People just don't expect, you know, they're going to lose their pet," said Kat Albrecht-Thiessen, the founder of Missing Animal Response Network.
The app Nextdoor says July is the biggest month for lost pet posts. Experts say it's a double whammy of celebrations and vacations.
Create brightly-colored fliers
Albrecht-Thiessen's first tip: stop putting fliers on telephone poles and create a noticeable sign in a bright color.
"There's been studies done on what's called inattentional blindness, where people just don't notice white pieces of paper on the side of the road," Albrecht-Thiessen explained. "But when you have something that's big neon bright with large lettering, and you keep the information small -- you know, 'lost tan chihuahua with a red harness.' And that's what people can read."
And to beef that up, set up volunteers at main intersections waving the signs too.
"This is what breaks inattentional blindness, is you do what we call an intersection alert or a lost dog protest where you're protesting your dog is missing and we've seen many people recover their dogs using that method as well."
Get the neighborhood involved
Ask for your neighbor's doorbell camera footage to see the direction your pet ran in and alert local trappers on social media.
"Somebody will tag us or or we'll see a post online, and then we'll get in our little Facebook group messenger chat and say, 'Okay, we start with making up a plan,'" said Jessica Elder, one of six Pittsburgh ladies coming together to volunteer their time to find lost dogs.
Her secret weapon: old meat.
"I have a freezer packed with old meat and we'll grill when we're getting ready to trap a dog. If a dog won't come to the owner, we will set a trap with cameras, and we'll grill at the trap," Elder said.
And make sure to keep everyone updated with sightings and additional photos.
Don't chase the pet
"You don't want people chasing," Elder said. "That is like the big thing we always got to say. As much as people want to help by going trying to catch a dog, it usually will chase them further away."
Resist the urge to call out the dog's name too. Albrecht-Thiessen says bring a bag of potato chips instead.
"Potato chip bags are great because they're crinkly and make noises and so you should have some treats on you like cut up hot dogs." She said you should pretend to eat them, making noises to show that the food is good. "And so you're making a noise, the dog, what you'll see is, the dog will stop and start watching you because you're not calling him. You're not looking at him. You're not trying to catch him."
Remain calm
Experts say an animal in fight or flight mode might not even recognize you at first. But it's all worth it for the reunion.
"Oh, my gosh! It's just, it is amazing, like there's there are no words," Elder said. "Just to see it happen, like just those happy tears and just the relief that everybody goes through."
Besides the microchip, they also say to keep the collar on at all times. Don't take it off for bedtime or when you go to work. You never know when an emergency will happen.
