How to improve your chances of finding your lost pet

© by Animal Communicator Sarah Messina

Finding a lost pet is such a tricky task. There are so many reasons why they go missing, and just as many reasons why they may not return home. The longer an animal has been missing, the harder it is to find them. But the main problem I see is that people unintentionally sabotage their chances of reuniting with a lost pet. Here are some common mistakes humans make when looking for lost pets:

Why haven’t I found my lost pet?

Expecting your animal to sit still
Lost pets are on the move. There are so many factors influencing lost animal movements (fear, hunger, thirst, shelter, danger, etc) that it is often impossible for them to remain in the one location. They will rarely sit still and wait for you to find them.
Assuming your animal can't travel far
A lost pet can travel surprisingly far. When I track an animal with a map, I see the world through their eyes. They travel up and down, traverse fences, drains, trees and various obstacles with ease. They don’t necessarily follow roads or paths. They rarely travel in straight lines. They can travel much further than we expect, and they can also be very close to home and still hard to locate - this often happens when people assume that their animal wouldn't travel in a particular direction (eg. across a busy road).
Expecting your animal to come to you
The reality is that there are few lost pets who will return on their own. If a lost pet is disoriented, timid, injured or confined, they may not be able to return home. A common problem when searching is that humans assume their animal will make themselves heard, bound out of the bushes and jump into the arms of their stressed human. It is not enough to go to an area and call for your lost animal. You must explore every nook and cranny. A lost pet can be much closer than expected but too afraid or exhausted to respond to you.
The human disappearing act
People searching can make the mistake of driving or walking through areas calling their animal’s name. The animal may hear the call from some distance away, but by the time they get there the person has given up and left. It is helpful to stay put around sighting areas for a length of time, visualizing your animal’s safe return and sending them love.
Giving up too easily
Finding a missing animal is a huge task. It will require research, following leads, disappointment, failures, dead-ends, continuous searching, personal investment and vigilance. People can give up too easily, fail to thoroughly explore every clue, search in a limited area or perform superficial searches. You need to search day after day. It is not enough to search for hours or days and give up. It is an enormous effort, but there’s no point getting the clues if you don’t follow up on them. Take responsibility for your search efforts. Use every practical technique possible (posters, calling shelters, etc) and personally search the yards / sheds, etc of any neighbours who will let you. Don’t rely on others to search thoroughly for you.
Relying on old information
Sightings and information from animal communicators about missing pet locations is only relevant for so long. Animals live in the moment, and what they describe is moment to moment. Even animals who have been in calm control of their circumstances (eg. taking time out) may suddenly become fearful, hungry or disoriented. It is impossible to predict the changes that may occur. Animals can stay around the area they were sighted, but it's important to be open to new information and possibilities as well.
Working from human time frames
Lost pets can sometimes return home instantly. But they regularly return home weeks, months, and even years after their initial disappearance. What humans consider to be a long time is not experienced the same way for animals. Don’t give up on your animals. Trust that whatever is meant to be will be.
Attachment to an outcome
It's understandable to want your pet to return home alive, healthy and happy, but oftentimes when are so attached to a particular outcome, our closed thinking can prevent us from receiving new info and/or clues to their whereabouts. Be open to your animal’s attempts to communicate with you, either directly or indirectly. They may need to communicate personal messages to you. They may ask for your support, your reassurance, or your attentiveness. They can give you directions to their location. Sometimes an animal will need to say goodbye, and you need to be open to this possibility also.

What to do when your lost pet is still missing

When a lost pet has been missing for a long time, it's hard to keep your spirits up. Many people ask me when they should stop searching for a missing animal. Every situation is totally unique. A lost pet can return home a year or more after their initial disappearance. While the search continues, these suggestions can improve your chances of finding your lost pet:

Remain energetically open
Stay grounded & as emotionally calm as possible
Trust that the outcome will be whatever it is meant to be
Communicate a helpful message. Rather than telling your pet how worried you are that they might get injured or hurt, or how you can’t cope without them, your animal will find it more helpful if you can reinforce a positive message. You might like to let them know that you have faith in their ability to stay calm, and to fend for themselves. Tell them that you love them, that you respect their needs and that you are looking forward to reuniting with them, in whatever way that is possible.
Sleep. Eat. Continue to function as best as you can. If you don’t find ways to manage the stress, how will your lost animal cope with both being lost and worrying about your condition? It’s not helpful for you, or your animal, if you fall apart. Do what you can to reduce your anxiety. Get support from others, arrange healing, take rescue remedy. Do whatever works for you.
Employ all the help you can get. Hire pet detectives, healers, form a search party with relatives, ask friends to take part in flyer drops. Put your lost pet information on lost pet websites and forums.
Ask the universe to give you a sign – something that pops up out of nowhere and is a message just for you. Be open to what comes your way, and you will know when you find your message. Listen to your own intuition as to the whereabouts and current circumstances of your animal.

If your pet does not return home, please be gentle with yourself. Searching for a lost pet is energetically draining. Acknowledge the impact this has had on your mind and body. Understand that it is normal to experience grief for a long-term missing pet, just as it would be for a pet who has passed away. Pet loss affects us deeply, no matter what the circumstances are. You may like to read the suggestions for coping with pet loss.

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Sarah Messina is a professional animal communicator and healer for Wild Insights Australia.
If you are interested in communicating with your missing pet, please read this information on lost animal communications