April 23rd marks the second annual Lost Dog Awareness Day, which was created to remind pet owners that not all stray dogs are homeless.
Helping Lost Pets, the premier website for creating free lost dog flyers as well as connecting lost dog owners with stray pet watch groups, has compiled a list from over 14,000 lost dog reports to determine the dog breeds that are most likely to be lost
Top 25 dog breeds most likely to be lost:
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Chihuahua
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Labrador Retriever
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Pit Bull
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Yorkshire Terrier
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German Shepherd
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Shih Tzu
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Boxer
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Siberian Husky
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Beagle
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Pomeranian
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Australian Shepherd
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Jack Russell Terrier
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Maltese
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Miniature Schnauzer
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Boston Terrier
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Husky
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Dachshund
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Long-Haired Chihuahua
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Pug
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Border Collie
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Miniature Dachshund
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Poodle
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Miniature Pinscher
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Golden Retriever
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Rat Terrier
Pet owners should be aware that unneutered males are 40% more likely than to get lost rather than their neutered counterparts. They are prone to roaming, although scent hounds like Beagles, German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers are prone to roaming as well, neutered or not.
Should you ever have the heartbreaking, stressful misfortune of having a lost dog, give these tips a try:
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Put out food, water and your dog's bed around the area they became lost. It is also beneficial if you include an article of your clothing as well. Never underestimate the power of a dog's nose, they may very well return to the area on their own.
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Naturally, another first action should be to notify any local animal shelters, city animal control centers and rescue operations in the area. For many people, when they find a lost dog that is where they will fist check in.
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Get the word out. The more you spread the word, the more likely it is you will find someone who has spotted your dog. Contact lost animal groups in your city at first and as time goes on, spread out further to county and state-wide groups, contact local businesses to ask if you could put a notice on their Facebook pages and put up good old fashioned signs and flyers around the city.
Be sure to include your name, the dog's name and your phone number as well as a dog's photo (if you can) on all flyers, social media posts or notifications.
