Lost your dog? What to do in the first 24 hours

• Walk the streets around where your dog was last seen, calling their name calmly.
• Take their favourite treats or a squeaky toy, and a lead.
• Check gardens, sheds, garages and anywhere they could be shut in by accident.
• Ask neighbours, dog walkers and delivery drivers to keep an eye out.
• If you see your dog, don't chase them. Crouch down, stay calm and let them come to you.

If your dog wears a PetTag, turn on lost mode from your dashboard. Anyone who scans the tag sees a clear “reported missing” alert with your contact options, and you're emailed the moment the tag is scanned, often with an approximate location.

Councils deal with stray dogs, and anyone who finds a stray and can't reach the owner must report it to the council. Call your council's dog warden or stray dog service, give a description and ask them to check their records. GOV.UK can find your council from your postcode.

Contact the database your dog's microchip is registered with, report them missing and check your phone number and address are up to date. If a vet or warden scans the chip, that's who they'll look up.

Phone the vets, animal shelters and rescue centres near where your dog went missing. People often take a found dog to the nearest vet. Send them a clear photo and a short description.

• Post in local Facebook groups and on Nextdoor with a clear photo, where and when your dog was last seen, and a contact number.
• Register your dog on a UK lost-dog service such as DogLost.
• Ask people to share rather than comment, so the post reaches further.
• Include “please don't chase”, so a frightened dog isn't driven further away.

Put posters up around where your dog was lost and at local vets, shops and parks. Use a big clear photo, the word LOST in large letters, and one phone number.

• Leave something that smells of home, like their bed or one of your jumpers, where they went missing.
• Search again at quiet times, early morning and late evening, when your dog may come out.
• Call the council and rescue centres again every day or two, and visit if you can.
• When your dog is home, update your posts, thank everyone who helped and turn off lost mode.

• A collar or tag with your name and address, which is required by law for dogs in public.
• A microchip with up-to-date details.
• A recent photo you can share straight away.
• A QR tag, so anyone who finds them can reach you in seconds.