What is your success rate?

We get asked this question a lot, and understandably so. However, because each case is unique, it’s impossible to just throw out a percentage that will predict the likelihood of finding your pet. There are several factors that determine success rate, including:

• How much time has passed since your pet got lost

  • The sooner you call us, the better chance we have of searching the correct area where your pet is currently. If you wait and call us after days have passed, there’s a chance your pet has been picked up by animal control, got spooked and ran into an unfamiliar area, got taken in by a well meaning neighbor, or got injured by a predator or car.

• If you have any recent sightings

  • Trail cameras are an invaluable tool when you’re trying to locate your lost pet. If you have repeated sightings of them at a particular time of day, you can be fairly confident they are in that area and have just gone into fight or flight mode. Also check with your neighbors that have doorbell/security cameras to see if they may have footage of your pet.

• If your pet is spayed or neutered

  • When a pet is intact (not spayed or neutered) their hormones will drive them to find a mate. If they can’t find one near your house, they will travel to find one — sometimes miles away from home.

  • Cats become sexually mature and can become pregnant at just 4 months old, so the roaming behavior will start when they are just kittens. Even if your intact cat/kitten is indoor only, the hormonal drive to mate can cause them to become escape artists.

  • Dogs become sexually mature around 6 months old and their drive to escape to find a mate will be very high, especially in males. Female dogs have a high likelihood of getting pregnant if they escape, even if they’re only gone for a short period of time.

  • Neutering has been shown to reduce roaming behavior in 90% of dogs. Hopkins, S. G., Schubert, T. A., & Hart, B. L. (1976). Castration of adult male dogs: effects on roaming, aggression, urine marking, and mounting. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 168(12), 1108–1110.

• If your cat is indoor/outdoor

• If your pet is familiar with the area they were lost (i.e., were you visiting a friend’s house or did they escape your yard?)

• If your pet is afraid of cars/strangers/other animals