If you ended up here, chances are you’ve recently lost your dear pet and are desperately seeking help. Prior to the rise of social media, you may have enlisted the help of your friends and neighbors and, armed with a stack of handmade flyers in one hand and a stapler in the other, taken to the streets to post Fido’s face on every lamp post. If you want to do that, you certainly can — just make sure you wear your comfiest sneakers — but luckily, there are easier and much more efficient options to help you through this stressful time.

Here’s what you can do to get your best friend home sooner.

1. Fill out the short “report lost pets” form on the home page.

Make sure you upload a photo of your pet. You’ll immediately receive a personalized flyer that can still be affixed to every previously mentioned lamp post, but the real power here comes with digital sharing via social media. Your flyer will be automatically shared to the Lost Dogs and Cats Facebook page for the city where your pet was last seen. Your pet’s information will also be added to the Find a Paw lost pet registry. This is a simple but powerful step — imagine how significantly your chances of finding your pet increase with hundreds or thousands of extra eyes looking out for them.

2. Choose how many people to reach.

You can stick with our basic alert or upgrade it to reach more people. If you decide to upgrade, Find a Paw will run an ad with your pet’s information to spread awareness to Facebook users in your area. Depending on the package you choose, you can expect 2,000 to 10,000+ people within 12 miles of you to see your missing pet flyer. It takes a village!

3. Family reunion! 

The community in your local area will reach out to you with any information regarding your lost pet. Every view and every shared post gets you closer and closer to finding your furry friend as soon as possible. When you do, update your pet as found in our registry and celebrate a joyful reunion!