Pet Resources

If anyone contacts you claiming to know the whereabouts of your missing pet & asking for money up front, put the phone down!! Don’t hesitate, don’t second guess It, just end it – immediately!
It’s a scam. They will take your money and run.
If you’re offering a reward for the safe return of your pet, you need your pet safely returned first!
No proof? No pet? No conversation!

First and foremost, do not chase the dog in an attempt to catch it. If it will come to you or you can coax it in to a secure area, please contain the dog.

The Environmental Protection Act 1990 (150)
Finders of stray dogs have a legal duty to either return it directly to its owner or contact the local authority in that area. Failure to do so is a criminal offence.

If the dog is wearing a collar, look for an ID tag. There may be contact details on the inside of the collar if no ID tag. There may be a telephone number, if so, ring it. There should be an address, if so, you have a legal duty to return the dog immediately. If the dog is roaming and you are not able to contain it, please notify the dog warden.
If there is no way to identify who owns the dog check social media posts. If that leads nowhere, contact the dog warden or pop to the nearest vet, they will scan free of charge and contact the dog warden if necessary.
DO NOT hand the dog over to a third party.
DO NOT, under any circumstances, hold on to the dog for hours.
Posting a found dog on social media should never be the first, nor the only, step taken. the warden may allow the dog to remain in your care on a finder retainer if deemed appropriate. This isn't guaranteed and there are strict conditions attached.

Displaced cats are often indoor escapees or recently relocated in an unfamiliar area.
Cats can also become displaced if they escape whilst in transit, hitch a ride or escape during a visit to the vet.
Once displaced, a cat’s main focus is concealing itself. It will not peep out or respond to an owner’s call. A physical search of every nook and cranny with a torch is essential.
Start at the point of escape, low to the ground, searching under and around every structure within a few metres – dont forget under decking!
Day and night, use a torch to catch a cat’s eyes reflecting.
Remember, they will stay concealed in silence, you must physically search! Shaking dreamies, waiting for a displaced cat to come out to you is a waste of precious time. Do keep calling out to reassure them whilst you search.
Do not leave used cat litter out!
In the mind of a displaced cat, detection leads to predation and they will move on to avoid the risk. Used litter is a scented signpost for other cats and a risk factor for the displaced cat.
Displaced cats are often indoor escapees or recently relocated in an unfamiliar area.
Cats can also become displaced if they escape whilst in transit, hitch a ride or escape during a visit to the vet.
Once displaced, a cat’s main focus is concealing itself. It will not peep out or respond to an owner’s call. A physical search of every nook and cranny with a torch is essential.
Start at the point of escape, low to the ground, searching under and around every structure within a few metres – dont forget under decking!
Day and night, use a torch to catch a cat’s eyes reflecting.
Remember, they will stay concealed in silence, you must physically search! Shaking dreamies, waiting for a displaced cat to come out to you is a waste of precious time. Do keep calling out to reassure them whilst you search.
Do not leave used cat litter out!
In the mind of a displaced cat, detection leads to predation and they will move on to avoid the risk. Used litter is a scented signpost for other cats and a risk factor for the displaced cat.
 

Always be aware of your surroundings!
Listening to music and checking social media impair your spacial awareness.
Avoid dimly lit areas if alone.
Safety in numbers, walk with a friend!
Vary routes and times.
Let someone know which route you're taking and how long you'll be out.
Carry a personal alarm and a torch.
If you feel unnerved, in any way, turn back. Report any suspicious behaviour to the police.
If anyone approaches you in a threatening manner or tries to take your dog ring 999.
Don't leave your dog unattended.

The Law:
You must keep your dog under control at all times.
Your dog's microchip must be registered on an approved database with up-to-date contact details.
When in a public place, dogs must also wear a collar and tag with the owner's name and address.

Flag your dog's microchip asap!
Notifying the database will prevent a third party changing the keeper details.
Don't encourage people to decend on mass to search for your dog.
Leave a scent at the spot they were last seen.  Ideally, their toys, bedding, harness/collar, brush. Your unwashed clothing, bedding, insoles.
Contact the dog warden, your dog may have been found, reported, and not yet collected.

POST AND POSTER
Provide concise information: what, where, when, who (to contact).
Clear instruction: do not flood the location; do not chase, call, whistle, grab; share posts not re-post screenshots.

DELEGATE AND DIRECT  
Family & friends: door knock, monitor  social media posts (comments, bump posts); create and coordinate action  plans; babysit if needed.
Wider public: put up posters/post leaflets; check classified ads; spread the word.

NOTIFY RELEVANT AUTHORITIES AND ORGANISATIONS
Compile an email with the relevant information, contact details, photos and a copy of the poster. Send the email to vets, rescues, animal wardens. Provide park wardens, professional dog walkers, posties, delivery/taxi drivers with a printed poster or flyer.
You can also include the poster with your photos when listing your dog on missing pet registers, classified ads, community portals, etc.
Once sightings are established all searches, coordinated or not, must be halted and the locations must not be divulged. Seek advice from an experienced lost dog recovery team, follow their instructions until they can get out to you.
Report stolen dogs to the police immediately and obtain a crime number! Provide the relevant microchip database with the crime number and flag as stolen. Display your crime number on all posts, posters and listings.
Never assume your dog has been stolen if you can't find it.
For advice, assistance in recovering a lost dog, dedicated campaigns, etc, please contact:
07866026343  info@beautyslegacy.co.uk

Use paper not card.
Cut a strip from top to bottom of an A4 sheet, approximately 2cm wide (a penny is just over 2cm wide), using biro (not felt tip or marker pen) add a request for the owner to contact the phone number provided. For example:
DOES THIS CAT HAVE AN OWNER?
PLEASE CALL: 0I234567890
Secure the ends of the paper collar with a small piece of tape. Never use glue or staples.

Despite the legislation being in force since April 2016, puppies are still sold or gifted without traceability.
By law, dogs must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database before they are 8 weeks old. Puppies must have the breeder as the first recorded keeper on the database. In relation to the legislation, the "breeder" is the owner of the bitch that gave birth to the puppies, whether or not they are a licensed breeder, a hobby breeder, it's a one-off litter from a family pet, puppies are sold or gifted.
As the owner of the bitch, the breeder is the owner of the puppies until the point of sale or gifting. The breeder is always the first recorded keeper. To ensure traceability the breeder's details stay on the record for the dog's life, regardless of who the registered keeper is. It is illegal for any breeder to sell/gift a puppy that is not microchipped and registered in their name on a compliant database (without the provision of a certificate of exemption). The new owner is responsible for the transfer of keepership, not the breeder. The breeder should provide transfer of keepership documents.
Microchip implanters must not register a breeder's puppies in a new owner's name.
Breeders implanting their own litters may transfer keepership at the point of sale or gifting.

If you get a knock on the door from an owner of a missing pet please, spare them a few minutes.
We're not suggesting you should pull out the contents of your shed, wade through brambles, or clamber over alley junk, we ask only that you accomodate owners of missing pets as best you can.
Please check your premises thoroughly:
Under bushes; greenhouses; cold frames; lower tree branches; polytunnels; under tarps and garden furniture covers; sheds (sides, behind, inside, dead air space); wood or junk piles; garages and car ports; water butts; alleys and tenfoots; CCTV/door-cam footage.
If you have a torch use it to create eyeshine.
Cats may not reveal themselves immediately if they are frightened so please check sheds in the days that follow.
If someone is putting up posters, take a minute to  read one - it means the world!
If you see the missing pet please, contact the owner and take a photo if you can.

s & Major 'A' Roads:
Highways England ✆ 0300 123 5000
Traffic Wales ✆ 0845 602 6020
Transport Scotland ✆ 0141 272 7100
N.T.A. (IRE) ✆ 01 879 8300

Railways:
Network Rail ✆ 03457 11 41 41
Transport Scotland ✆ 0141 272 7100
Irish Rail ✆ 1850 366222

Waterways:
Canal & River Trust
✆ 0303 040 4040 (during office hours)
✆ 0800 47 999 47 (evenings & weekends)
Environment Agency for England ✆ 0800 80 70 60
Natural Resources Wales ✆ 0300 065 3000

Some marinas and canals have a lock keeper on call 24hrs. Search "lock keeper in (area)" on Google to find the contact details before going through the national call centres.

Cats do roam, spend many hours in local gardens, and often dupe residents. Please confirm a cat does not live locally before calling in the cavalry.
If you are feeding a cat because it has been hanging around for a few days, please, stop. If it is still reluctant to leave when the food incentive has been removed, look for the owner.
Please bear in mind that elderly cats can often appear unkempt or underweight, that's just old age, it comes to us all.
Door knock in the area.
Advertise: posters; vets; online pet registers; social media; classified ads; rescues.
Scan for a microchip: vets, rescues, implanters, and Scan Angels will scan free of charge.
Fit a paper collar: print one using a template or simply cut a strip of paper, the width of a penny, from an a4 sheet (not card).
Write your phone number on. Secure the ends.
** Do not use use card - do not use felt-tip or marker pen - secure the ends with tape - do not use glue or staples **
 

Our relentless efforts to create perfect gardens often result in wildlife casualties. With just a few precautions we can reduce those.
Before hacking back trees and hedgerows check there aren't nesting birds.
Strimmers can be lethal, always check for hedgehog nests under hedges and in leaflitter.
Monitor sheds before pulling them down. Foxes, hedgehogs and cats often leave babies under sheds for safety.
Check for nosy cats before you lock up!

The suggestion that used cat litter brings missing cats home began circulating some time in 2015, but, exactly when, and by whom remains a mystery. There is no evidence to support it, only coincidences.
There are, however, many studies that have blown the theory out of the water!

If a cat has outside access it will undoubtedly have peed in numerous areas in its territory, none of which are next to the back door.

Pheromones in cat pee signal their presence. If aggressive cats pick up on the scent from the litter tray and enter your cat's core territory, your cat may be wary of returning home.

As prey animals, cats bury their mess to avoid detection. When frightened cats conceal themselves, plonking a cat pee signpost that attracts other cats will add to their fear.

When catching a dog in survival mode the do's and do not's are instructions, not suggestions!
In survival mode a dog will focus on food, water, shelter and safety from perceived threats. Anyone and anything that's not food, water or shelter is a perceived threat that needs to be avoided.

DO NOT CALL OUT TO YOUR DOG! That includes talking, whistling, knee patting, thigh slapping, or other beckoning gestures.
DO NOT APPROACH YOUR DOG! No creeping, walking, running towards or chasing after them. No grabbing/lunging.
DO NOT HOLD EYE CONTACT!
DO NOT PANIC!
Tell helpers and local residents not to as well.

As soon as you locate your dog, stay where you are. Lower your head, avert your eyes, and turn away slightly.
Keeping the dog in your peripheral view, slowly crouch down or sit on the floor. Using food as a lure, drop or gently flick tidbits on the ground to your side.

Stay calm keep your eyes averted • Be patient • Let the dog approach you in its own time

Finders of stray dogs have a duty under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to either return it directly to its owner (if known) or contact the local dog warden.

Physically inspect your fence, don't assume it's sound.
Watch your dog from a window to see where they show particular interest.
Are there scratches or fur caught on part of the fence?
Is there anything to climb up on?
Can any planks be pulled forwards from the bottom?
Check fence panels are fixed to each other, top and bottom.
Is the gate latch catching properly?
Can your dog get under the gate with a wiggle?
Is there disturbed soil behind bushes?
Are there any gaps behind a shed?

Pottering in the shed? Turfing out the garage? Leaving the doors open?
Some cats can’t resist peeping inside an open shed, a scaredy cat may need a bolt hole. And, many missing moggies are discovered in nearby sheds.
If your shed, garage or greenhouse door has been open for any length of time, please remember to check it before you lock it! Pop back & double check if you can.
If a local cat is missing please take a few minutes to check gardens & outbuildings.

If someone ups and moves, leaving a cat behind, report them!
If you are feeding an assumed stray cat you need an action plan.
Think lost not stray!
Never condemn a cat to a doorstep life, only seeking help when it is unwell or injured.
As a feeder of a stray cat, you’re responsible for it whilst it’s in your care, however long that may be. Provide food, shelter and vet care until a rescue space or the owner is found.  

Do you use spot-on flea treatment on your pets and leave their fur out for nesting birds to collect?
You are doing more harm than good!
Fipronil, Permethrin and Imidacloprid are present in English rivers in concentrations that exceed accepted safe limits for wildlife.
These chemicals are in the soil and flora. They are definitely not safe for any young animals, especially baby birds.
Please dispose of pet fur responsibly, we must limit the damage we cause!

Please keep your dogs under control around livestock, for the safety of all!
You can never be sure how animals will react to each other. Even if there is a public right of way through a field it doesn't give you the right to allow your dogs to be out of control.

Ensure your fences/gates are fit for purpose - if not, your dogs are at risk of escape, injury or theft!
Invest in pad-bolts and gate springs.
put signs on all gates.
Avoid signs mentioning dog breeds.
Reinforce weak points and secure loose boards.
Windy nights are a robber's delight! Bangs and clatters are often assumed to be down to the wind.

Bogus pet microchip database websites do not  have the means to store extensive encrypted data, your details are only stored until you trigger a payment which creates a log - a valuable dataset. The datasets can then be sold. All trace of your information is deleted from the website.
A legitimate database will always display a cookie consent banner.
A legitimate database will not be a "GODADDY", "NAMECHEAP", "DOMAIN RIDER" or similar domain. nor will it be built with Wordpress, Wix, etc.
A legitimate database will not accept a microchip number that does not contain the correct amount of digits.
A legitimate database will not accept a microchip number that does not conform to ISO standards.
A legitimate database will not accept a post-date of birth.
A legitimate database will not have pre-ticked consent boxes.
A legitimate database will always have the company's registered address on the website, along with policies.

Search your page name for duplicates regularly.
If someone suggests you have shared content from a “scam” or “fake” page don’t ignore it, check the source.

Do not interact with fake or cloned pages!
If a bot has shared or commented on your posts report it then block them!
If you see comments on groups and pages report them to admin!
If you are an admin please check all profiles before approving participants to protect your members from scams!