Keep a collar and ID tag on your pets at all times while on outings, at the park, on walks, and especially when you take them out of town. If you're gone during the day and your pets have access to the backyard, make sure they are always wearing their collars and tags. If you don't have an ID tag on your pet's collar, use a Sharpie marker and write your pet's name and your phone number on the collar. Microchip your pets. This tiny electronic chip, which must be implanted by your veterinarian, improves your chances of getting your pet back if he/she is lost or stolen. If you have any concerns about this, discuss them with your vet.

If Your Pet Is Lost:

Comb the area with the help of friends and family. Make flyer's with a good photo of your pet and the words "LOST" and "REWARD" in large bold letters. You want the flyer's to be as eye-catching as possible, so create or paste them on brightly colored poster board. Post them around the area where your pet was lost, on your car windows, at intersections, in animal hospitals, with rescue groups, on supermarket bulletin boards and anywhere else you can think of. Run ads in the lost-and-found section of newspapers. Post notices online on sites like Petfinder.com, Craigs-List.com, and AdoptAPet.com. If your pet is micro-chipped, notify the microchip company that your pet is lost so that if someone finds your pet and calls the company, you'll be notified. Make regular trips to your local shelter, which is where lost pets often end up. Borrow or rent a humane trap from a rescue group or animal control. Create a "LOST" page on Facebook and use Twitter to help get out the word and to enlist volunteers to search for your pet. Consider posting information about your lost pet on MissingCritters.com.

For Many More Tips On How Lost Pets Behave and How to Recover a Lost Pet:

missingpetpartnership.org