FAQ
© 2007-2012 Missing Pet Partnership. All rights reserved.
Lost Pet Questions
Q. My pet is lost and I'm looking for a bloodhound or search dog that is trained to find lost pets. Can you help me?
A. In 1997, Missing Pet Partnership founder Kat Albrecht began using her police bloodhounds and cadaver dog (a Weimaraner) to track lost dogs, cats, reptiles, and other pets. Through Missing Pet Partnership Kat has since trained several Missing Animal Response (MAR) Technicians, some with trained search dogs who offer lost pet services in various areas of the country. You can find a listing of these certified pet detectives on our Find A Pet Detective page.
Q. My pet has been missing for a month. Can a search dog still pick up a scent and help me find my lost pet?
A. It depends. If the lost pet is a cat, turtle, snake, or small animal that does not tend to travel too far and you have a specific area where the search dog can be used to conduct an "area search" then, yes, a search dog could potentially be helpful. That's because instead of attempting to track a scent trail that was deposited by the lost pet, the search dog would be searching for a "scent cone" or the cloud of scent that would be coming off of the animal where it is hidden. This is how MAR Cat Detection dogs are used, which is the same manner that bomb and drug detection dogs are used. MAR Cat Detection dogs are not specifically trained to follow a scent trail (which is likely only viable for up to two weeks, at best). Instead, they are trained to detect (not track) the scent of a cat. Our MAR Technician's have found cats that have been missing six weeks because they were not attempting to track (follow) the scent trail. MAR Cat Detection dogs are also crossed-trained in decomposition scent so that even if your cat is no longer alive, they can assist in the recovery and bring closure. If on the other hand the lost pet is a dog that has been missing for a month, the chances are that the scent trail (that your dog deposited when it left the escape point) is probably no longer there for a search dog to pick up. In fact, the oldest known scent trail that a search-and-rescue dog has tracked was 13 days old.
To learn more about how long a scent trail can survive, read an excerpt from MPP Founder Kat Albrecht's book DOG DETECTIVES on the topic of scent. Heat and direct sunlight will destroy scent and wind will disperse it. The best scenting conditions are cool, damp, even wet (rainy) areas with an abundance of vegetation. The worst scenting conditions are hot, dry areas that offer nothing moist for scent to cling to. Be warned that there are pet detectives not affiliated with Missing Pet Partnership who market their K9 tracking services as being THE ANSWER to finding your lost pet. Sadly, there seems to be a trend for these folks to disparage Missing Pet Partnership for our efforts to TELL THE TRUTH about search dogs and scent. Search dogs have their limitations, especially in hot, dry climates and when scent trails are weeks or months old. Missing Pet Partnership promotes the development of community-based VOLUNTEER lost pet search-and-rescue teams so that K9 pet detective services can be affordable and readily available in all communities. Pet owners should not have to pay $12,000 for a "self-proclaimed dog tracker" to travel from several states away. Our efforts (to train teams across the nation) do not sit well with a few for-profit pet detectives who see our mission as being a threat to their livelihood. For more information about the viability of a scent trail, visit the Warning page.
Keep in mind that just because the scent trail might be too old (for a search dog to track) does NOT mean that a pet detective can't help you retrieve your lost pet! A MAR Technician's search dog could be utilized if you have a potential recent sighting of your lost pet or the search dog is a detection dog. The MAR Technician can also help with shelter checks, Internet research, posting fluorescent posters, and developing leads weeks, sometimes months after your pet has disappeared. Although the passage of time does diminish the chances of a recovery, pet detectives have successfully recovered pets that were missing for several weeks, even months.
Q. What exactly does Missing Pet Partnership do?
A. Missing Pet Partnership works to reunite lost pets with their families. We are working to achieve our goals through various means. First, we offer the most comprehensive website of lost pet recovery tips based on our cutting edge knowledge of lost pet behavior. Since 2001, our website has helped thousands of pet owners recover their lost pets as is evident in our Testimonials page. Our future plans include partnerships with animal shelters to help them develop lost pet services through a program developed at Missing Pet Partnership. In addition, we plan to develop community-based lost pet services through a partnership with a pet detective academy developed by MPP founder Kat Albrecht.
Q. Why aren't animal shelter workers giving out the type of lost pet advice that you give out?
A. One major factor is a lack of education--for both pet owners and shelter workers. Animal shelters are in the business of housing and sheltering animals. Animal Control Officers are in the business of capturing stray dogs and cats that are visible or in a known location. Neither are in the business of responding to missing pet incidents. They are not trained in the science of searching for lost pets and, frankly, they just do not have the manpower to offer this service. Missing Pet Partnership hopes to change that by providing training and educational materials to shelter staff which can be passed on to pet owners who visit their shelter when searching for a lost pet. That is our mission.
Q. I want to help. How can I volunteer for MPP?
A. Missing Pet Partnership is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization based in Federal Way, Washington. Currently, we need assistance on a local level with fundraising, dispatching, and volunteers willing to assist on lost pet searches. On a national level (for volunteers not living near Seattle), we’re looking for volunteers who can help MPP with social media and writing services (crafting short stories about our searches). To volunteer, visit our Volunteer page and fill out the form. In addition, we're always looking for cash and in-kind donations of rescue equipment. For ideas on how you can support our mission, visit our Support Us page.
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