Things to be aware of when looking for your dog

Warning: Some of the member feedback below may be upsetting but we think it is best that you are as informed as possible

Microchips

Microchips help but do not guarantee that you will get your dog back, they can fail, migrate and can be removed
Vets are not obligated to scan for a microchip and not all of them have access to the multitude of microchip databases
Members have reported that microchip registries do not always share information with each other, and as a result, pets have been re-homed with an up to date microchip
Some vets are obligated by law to surrender a found dog to the local council pound even if it is microchipped and are not allowed to attempt to reunite the cat
Animal rescue organisations may not verify chip details for surrendered dog

Pounds

It can take council pounds several days to scan a microchip as they can get very busy
Some councils will not pick up a found dog. They ask the finder to bring it in
To dispose of deceased dogs some councils contract other companies which do not have microchip scanners
Some people fear surrendering a dog will result in expensive impound fees or the dog being put down

General

Some people may assume that the dog they found was abandoned or escaped because it was mistreated
Even if your dog is normally friendly with people it may be too scared to let anyone too close
When a dog is found by someone it could be taken to their vet, not yours
In some areas it is not law to surrender a found dog to the council pound
If a family falls in love with your dog it will be harder to get it back

WHAT TO DO?

Do not rely on microchips completely, but make sure your chip details are up to date
Keep your physical search up, keep posting flyers everywhere you can and doing letter drops to neighbours mailboxes
Do not rely on coucils/pounds ringing you when your pet gets there. Visit pounds and shelters in person!
Do not trust phone descriptions, they can very dramatically, and no one knows your dog better than you
Look at dogs for adoption as well as the newly impounded ones
Do not miss vital information, right now check your email Spam/Junk box again and your 'Message Requests' on Facebook just in case

Fortunately there are lots of good people out there that want to help. Many will go the extra mile to make sure your dog is safe and well, and will try everything for you and your dog to get reunited asap. Stay positive, but do not fully rely on the system to bring you your dog back. Keep searching!