Pets can be picked up by good samaritans for various reasons and transported long distances including across state lines. Animals are regularly transported between Kentucky and Indiana to animal shelters and to veterinarians.

 

Two boxers belonging to a Kentucky Humane Society employee living in Louisville were found on Paoli Pike in Floyd County Indiana. A dog from Cherokee Park in Louisville was rescued along Dixie Highway. A lost pet might wander around avoiding settling any one place for a while. Therefore it is critical that the search continues. Pets have been reunited with their families weeks, months and years after they disappeared.

 

1. Contact local postal carriers, utility workers, the county highway department, garbage pick up companies, police department, fire department, EMS services and anyone doing construction work in the area. Give a flyer to each postal carrier and provide flyers to each agency.

2. Contact veterinarians and animal shelters in Indiana and Kentucky including Kentucky Humane Society, Jefferson County Kentucky Animal Control, Meade and Breckenridge Counties Kentucky; Orange, Dubois, Washington, Floyd, Harrison and Clark Counties in Indiana.

3. Run newspaper ads in The Courier Journal, The Corydon Democrat, The Clarion and any other newspapers in surrounding counties. Run the ads now and again every few weeks.

4. Go door to door. We found a woman's missing dog by going door to door with flyers. A huge story and photo had run in the Corydon Democrat but the folks who had the dog didn't read the paper. Make sure the kids in the house see the flyer. Kids out on bikes and walking know where all the dogs are. Don't go door to door alone, take someone with you.

5. Contact the Highway Dept., provide a flyer and ask if they've seen the animal or perhaps picked up the body from the road.

6. Take flyers to all the agencies mentioned above. Send flyers to all the animal shelters listed above.

7. Do not depend only on the internet when looking for a lost pet. I talk with people every week in our area who have never had or cannot afford internet access. Facebook reaches a lot of people but certainly not everyone. 

8. Post lost notices with both pure breed and mixed breed Rescue Groups locally and nationally. For example, look for 'Collie Dog Rescue Groups' and ask those orgs. to network your lost pet notice. 

9. Post lost notices with breeders and kennel clubs locally and nationally. Look for breeders who deal in your pet's particular breed. Kennel clubs can help identify the breeders.

10. Sometimes injured pets are being cared for at a veterinarian's office. Contact all regional vet offices including counties in both Kentucky and Indiana.

11. Go to every single house for miles around where the dog disappeared with 'Dog Missing' flyers. Post the flyers at grocery stores, gas stations, tourist areas, etc. 

12. Check all the internet outlets such as Craigslist for new listings of found dogs. 

General info:

Running lost and found ads in newspapers is necessary, but reaches only a certain percentage of the population. Going door to door is necessary. If no one is home, leave a flyer at the door. Postal workers know where all the dogs are. So do utility workers, folks who read meters or shut off electricity for non-payment of bills.

 

Walk the roads on foot to make sure the pet hasn't been hit by a car and isn't over the side of a hill where he or she can't be easily seen. 

It is critical to take these steps immediately and to continue looking. 

If you need additional information, please email RiverValleyHumaneSociety@gmail.com.