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Postering & Sightings
MARKETING YOUR MUTT!!
Although many of us use our cell phones and access social media frequently throughout the day not everyone does so. DO NOT RELY on social media alone to get you pet safely home. 90% of all timely sightings come from posters.
Large bright eye catching posters need to be made as soon as possible and placed at key intersections or areas your pet may have ventured to. Even handmade temporary signs are critical when your pet first goes missing.
Posters provide a visual prompt / alert when people are traveling through an area. This results in timely sightings which are imperative to locating your companion animal. It also makes it less likely that someone will attempt to rehome your lost pet.
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Posters should have minimal writing on it with LOST DOG / CAT on the top and a phone number on the bottom that will be available 24 hours a day until the pet is found.
Full color LOST DOG or LOST CAT posters placed on neon Bristol board catch a person's eye. We suggest 11 x 17 sized posters placed in key areas with smaller 8.5 x 11 posters placed within subdivisions. It is also beneficial to carry smaller 4 x 4 handouts to give to people when canvassing an area. People are more likely to keep a small flier than one of a larger size for reference. You can also ask people to take a photo of your poster to keep in their phone for easy access to your contact information should you not have a handout. ALWAYS ask people you are speaking to, to please contact Animal Control should they see any lost dog.
Posters should be attached to poles using plastic wrap to protect it from the elements and for easy removal. Ensure that the "tail" where the plastic wrap has been ripped is taped to ensure it is secured.
8.5 x 11 posters / photos should be placed upside down in page protectors and placed in high traffic area within a neighborhood such as community mailboxes or trail entrances.
Should a sighting come in .. DO NOT POST THE LOCATION ONLINE. Ensure you have 4x4 handouts to place in mailboxes at private homes or hand to people when speaking with them. Ruling out local pets within a sighting area is of great importance so it is necessary to speak to as many people as possible. Keep a pad of paper to document any possible information you might receive while speaking with people. You will be amazed at what people will recall when you are speaking with them.
When taking a sighting, obtain the sighters name & phone number. Often other questions may arise that require clarification. Note the date and time of the sighting, the address or cross streets where the pet was seen. What direction the pet was traveling? What side of the street they were on? What was the animal doing? What was the sighters response to the loose pet (did they try to secure, chase, take a photo etc). Did the pet appear to be injured? Try to get as much detail as possible.
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Once your pet has been found and secured it is important to keep in mind .. What Goes Up MUST Come Down!! Keep track of the areas that posters were placed .. it will make removing them much easier.
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Please note that most municipalities have signage by-laws. Please refer to your local by-laws regarding placement of posters. Most municipalities are tolerant of lost pet posters as long as they are not placed at major intersections or hwys and kept in good repair.
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Should you find a lost or wandering pet, it is also critical to get found posters up or sighting posters (in the instances where cats are involved) in your area as soon as possible. Even if an animal has been taken into the care of your local Animal Control Agency, these posters may help to reunite a family with their missing pet.
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