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Wednesday, 6 April 2016

Dog theft is increasing, and it happens in many ways. Here's what criminals want dog parents to do.

 By Carol Bryant 
Christmas Eve should be a time of peace and solace, but for Cory and Sarah Malchow, it was the start of a nightmare. Sarah was walking her dog when she was attacked from behind and her 4-month-old Pit Bull mix was stolen.
Reports indicate that one assailant grabbed Sarah from behind, held her in the air, and threw her to the ground. Meantime, another assailant approached from behind, unclipped the dog from his leash, and took off in a car.
Dogs rely on us to keep them safe from harm

According to Petfinder.com, as many as 2 million pets are stolen every year. Sadly, only 10 percent are ever reunited with their pet parents. Stolen dogs meet many ends. Some are sold to research labs, others are used by unscrupulous breeders in puppy mills, while still others are forced into dog fighting, among other very disturbing horrific purposes.
To catch a criminal, think like the criminal, right? To prevent a dog from being stolen, think like the low life. Here are eight things dog thieves want you to do — followed by ways you can prevent your dog from becoming a statistic:

1. Leave your dog alone in a car

This is a favored method of pet thieves. Not only are dogs at risk of death in the warmer months from being left alone in cars, but they also can freeze in the winter time. I recall a local story about a gentleman who ran into a shopping mall, leaving his two Samoyeddogs behind for a “short time.” He returned to find the windows smashed and his dogs stolen. The bottom line: Don’t do it.
Know where your dog is at all times and be sure he or she is supervised.

2. Tie your dog up outside, alone

A 7-year-old girl was out shopping with her mom for the Christmas holidays recently and leashed her dog up outside the store. As the duo perused items, a thief was caught on hidden surveillance unleashing Marley, theCavalier King Charles Spaniel. The thief attempted to sell Marley on the streets, where a teacher bought the dog because she felt something was wrong. The dog was eventually reunited with his family, but this is rare. Criminals are waiting for you to leave the leash behind, with the dog attached. If you wouldn’t leave a baby alone outside, apply the same principle to your pets. The bottom line: Don’t do it.
Dogs should not be made to live outside unsupervised.

3. Cruise dog parks and dog-friendly beaches

Look around the next time you let your dog roam off leash to his heart’s content. In my many years of covering dog travel, I have discovered that dogs are stolen from dog-welcoming properties such as dog parks and beaches. Chatting with friends while your eye roams away from your dog is exactly what criminals want. The bottom line: Let your dog have fun, but know where he or she is at all times.
Have fun but be aware

4. Skip the microchip and ID tags

If your stolen, lost, or missing dog happens to luck out and end up at a shelter, the chances of a reunion with you increase dramatically if that dog is microchipped. Though collars can be taken off by thieves, identification tags that remain intact, especially something like a PetHub tag using QR code, increase the chances of reunion. If you move or change phone numbers, update the microchip contact info. The bottom line: Keep identification current and get a microchip.
Is your current contact information on your dog's ID tag and microchip?

5. Leave dogs home alone without supervision

Please don’t jump on me for this one because I know a large majority of dog moms and dads reading this work outside the home. A pet sitter, doggie daycare, or a security system are all viable options to prevent pet theft. Thieves case homes where pets are left alone, and sadly, homes are cased to wait for the right moment that dogs are home alone. The bottom line: If you must leave your dog alone for any significant period of time, ask a neighbor to watch your house and return the favor with a neighborhood watch. I also never leave my dog alone in a hotel room when I travel.
Do you know where your dog is at all times?

6. Let your dog live outside

This hotly contested topic went round and round when I wrote about not allowing a dog to live outside. Reason #864 to never let a dog live outside as his or her primary “residence?” Theft. Recently a dog in Cedar Falls, IA, was stolen from his heated dog kennel right near his owner’s home.KWWL.com reports that thieves in this situation are leaving notes for the owners letting them know the dog is “safe.” Bottom line: Never let your dog outside without your watchful eye.
An indoor dog is a safe dog -- play outside, live inside.

7. Don’t use locks, fences, or alarms

This is a thief’s best friend: The property that is poorly lit, without a secure lock on a gate, and out of view of passersby. “It happened in broad daylight” is something that has become all too common as it relates to pet theft. Use an alarm or bell, and if possible, a security light, so you can hear and see anyone who comes on your property. The bottom line: Good fences make good neighbors. They also keep criminals away, and coupled with pet parent supervision, they keep dogs safe and secure.

8. Be unaware

I tell my pet friends and contacts this all the time: Know your surroundings. I remember watching an episode of Oprah years ago and learning about the book, The Gift of Fear, by Gavin de Becker. Considered one of the nation’s leading experts on violent behavior, de Becker shares how to spot subtle signs of danger — before it’s too late. Do not walk late at night by yourself, have a cell phone handy, and be aware of your surroundings. The bottom line: Know before you go.
As of press time, the Malchows had their dog returned, but this case is very unusual, and they are very fortunate.
Have you ever known someone who had their dog stolen? Got any tips to keep dogs safe from danger? Let me know in the comments below, and let’s stay safe out there.

It is estimated that nearly two million pets are stolen each year.


LoveypsePet theft is more widespread than people think and it is not just confined to “bad” neighborhoods. Pet FBI has had reports of pets snatched from fenced yards, parked cars, front porches, anywhere a pet is left unattended. Occasionally we hear about people whose pets have been taken and dumped by a disgruntled neighbor or an angry spouse.
Most often, there is a profit motive to pet theft. Someone might steal a purebred dog in the hopes of selling it to an unsuspecting individual, or, if the pet is not neutered, to a breeder or a puppy mill. Pets are also collected by Class B dealers to sell to labs. Dog fighting rings snatch breeds that have a reputation as fighters. Dog fighting rings also snatch cats. If you are someone who loves animals, these abuses are too horrible to contemplate and I shudder as I write this, but people need to be aware.
If you are reading this it may be that you think your pet has been stolen. Pet FBI is not a detective agency, although there are pet detectives (Pet FBI stands for Pets Found By Internet, and we maintain a database on line of lost and found pet reports.) We can only offer advice and an expression of sympathy.

Advice for Recovering a Stolen Pet:

  1. First, follow the suggestions on our  ‘lost pet action plan ‘ pages. It is possible that your pet was not stolen or that even if stolen, it broke away.
  2. Post a lost report. It is best not to mention that you think the pet was stolen. It might make the thief or an honest good Samaritan hesitant to come forth.
  3. Presumably, if a pet is stolen, most times it is for a profit motive. Offer a reward, but better not to mention how much.
  4. If someone does claim to have your pet, never meet in an out of the way place , never meet alone, and do not hand over money until you have the pet in hand.
  5. Put up flyers in prominent places in the area where you think your pet was stolen. Presumably, the thief passes through the area and will see your poster and may respond to the prospect of a reward.
  6. File a police report with your local police department or sheriff’s office immediately. A police report will be useful for identification purposes when retrieving your pet and could prove helpful in court if a suspect is brought to trial. If the authorities are hesitant to prepare the report, remind them that pets by law are valuable “property” and their theft is either a felony or misdemeanor under all state laws. By law, the police must take action on your complaint. Be persistent.
  7. Sometimes pets are stolen to be sold for a profit, especially pure bred cats and dogs. Some people have reported that they found their pet offered for sale in a classified ad. Check your local newspaper, Craigslist or Hoobly.com.
  8. http://petfbi.org/how-to-protect-your-pet/stolen-pets/

Monday, 4 April 2016

5 Ways Thieves Could Steal Your Dog





Editor’s note: This post is a Care2 favorite, back by popular demand. It was originally posted on January 1, 2013. Enjoy!
Sergeant Kenneth Chambers was playing Frisbee with his dog in the parking lot of a Jacksonville, Florida grocery store recently when lightning struck out of the clear blue sky. The young American veteran, in recovery for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), rolled down the car windows and placed his Australian Shepard/Blue Heeler Mix inside the vehicle just briefly while he went inside to help his mother with the bags. When he came out moments later, Adalida was gone.
Unfortunately for Sergeant Chambers, and for Adalida, the parking lot scenario placed them in two of the top five high-risk situations for pet theft. And while Sergeant Chamebers’ search continues for Adalida, there are measures that all of us can take to prevent a similar tragedy.
Top Five High Risk Pet Theft Scenarios
#1 Dogs in Autos:
In the blink of an eye, a partially opened window is forced down or the window is smashed and the dog can be removed from the vehicle. It takes 20 seconds or less to abduct a dog and by the time the pet guardian returns to the car, their dog is long gone. The American Kennel Club reports a 70% rise in dog theft in 2012 and a 40% rise the year before. A weak economy is fueling financially motivated dog-napping and a dog in a car is quite simply a sitting duck.

Leaving your dog in the car is a bad idea for so many reasons.







 Prized Breeds or Dogs With Special Abilities:
A purebred dog or a dog with special skills is a bit like a gold watch. Thieves see dollar signs and that’s more than enough temptation. Any dog left unattended under any circumstances can be taken, but there is far greater motivation for criminals to walk off with a dog who can bring in a large sum of cash.
#3 Pets Left in Fenced Backyards:
Everyone loves the convenience of a doggy door, especially criminals. Homeowners who let their pet explore the fenced yard without supervision have the illusion of safety, but police departments across the country will tell you that the theft of these dogs is climbing.
In broad daylight on a single Saturday in November, Corning (California) Animal Shelter Manager Debbie Eaglebarger documented the theft of four Dobermans, four Australian shepherds and two Rottweilers. There were actually other dogs taken that same day but the first few calls were not recorded as the shelter had not yet realized that the town was in the midst of a widespread crime wave. One neighbor saw a man and a woman driving a green pick up truck lure one of the dogs out of a backyard and into their vehicle. All dogs taken that day were purebred, but that is not always the case.


#4 Pets Left Tied in Front of Businesses:
This one may sound like a no-brainer, but particularly in urban areas where people take their pets on their errands on foot, it’s not uncommon to find dogs tied up in front of a bank or grocery store. Typically, these are dogs with a gentle demeanor making them highly susceptible to the commands of a would-be thief.
“Leaving your dog tied up in front of a store is about as ludicrous as leaving your child out front and saying, ‘Wait right there, I’ll be back in 10 minutes,” explains Howard Simpson of Integrated Security and Communications in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts. “Do yourself a favor and realize that there are security risks in even the safest of neighborhoods. Being naive makes you a target.”


#5 Strangers in the Neighborhood:
Any strangers on the property can be a risk to your pets. Whether they are invited contractors, deliverymen or activists with a petition in hand, visitors could easily grab a pet during a moment when the homeowner is distracted. In some cases, they are making a mental note of homes with valuable breeds or easy-to-subvert home security that will facilitate a quick dog-napping at a later time. It bears mentioning that it’s not uncommon for cats to jump into the back of truck beds for a snooze and to be unwittingly carried off at the end of the day.

Which Breeds Are Most Likely to Be Stolen?
According to the American Kennel Club, the most-stolen dog of 2011 was the Yorkshire Terrier, followed by the Pomeranian, Maltese and Boston Terrier. Small breeds are targeted by thieves because of their size but also because of their value on the market as a single dog can fetch well over $1,000. Among the large breeds, Labrador Retrievers are a frequent target and Pit Bull Terriers and Pit Bull mixes are frequently coming up stolen for perhaps amuch more sinister purpose.


Dog Thieves: Why They’ll Steal Your Pet
1. Bait Dogs & Labratory Dogs: This is every dog guardian’s worst nightmare. Indeed people involved in dog fighting will gather “bait” dogs to be used as training tools for fighting dogs. It happens in both urban and rural areas and there has been no measurable decline in dog fighting in recent years despite attempts to police against it. And, despite some legislation intended to stop the sale of undocumented dogs to research laboratories, under-the-table purchase of dogs continues and, in some countries, these exchanges are not considered a crime.

2. Financially Motivated Theft: “For the first time ever we’ve seen a trend now where shelters are being broken into and purebred and mixed breed dogs are being stolen,” said Lisa Peterson, spokesperson for the American Kennel Club. In fact, any pure bred dog, particularly puppies, are considered a high-value commodity. Even with a microchip, it’s often too late by the time a pet buyer discovers that they have purchased a stolen dog.  By then, the thief is long gone.


3. Emotionally Driven Theft: What’s often overlooked are the emotionally motivated crimes that rob dogs of their families. This can happen because the perpetrator feels that a dog is not being properly cared for. Some animal lovers will feel justified in stealing a dog that is tied in front of a store or who gets on the loose one day. Other times it’s an act of revenge, and there are many reports of dogs being taken where a former romantic partner is considered the prime suspect.
One very risky move…
Whatever the scenario or the motivation, dog guardians can best protect their dogs with watchfullness. Never leave a dog unattended. Secure your home, including all doors and windows, to the best of your ability and budget. And be wary of strangers in your neighborhood at all times.
Brought to you by the Harmony Fund international animal rescue charity.
Related Stories:
http://www.care2.com/causes/5-ways-thieves-could-steal-your-dog.html

Dognapped! Frightening Facts of Pet Theft By Yolanda Brooks


A FEW SECONDS WAS ALL IT TOOK FOR CHIHUAHUA PUP LUPÉ TO SLIP OUT THE DOOR AND INTO THE hands of an opportunistic thief. She was at work in Vancouver with owner Emily Olmstead when the door was accidentally left ajar. Despite Emily's swift action to find her, Lupé's whereabouts are still a mystery.
"I miss her more than anything in this world and I don't think I could ever have a dog again," says a distraught Olmstead, who spent the end of last summer scouring the city streets and putting up posters during her heartbreaking search.
While LupĂ© was snatched in broad daylight, Husky Keymo was taken from his yard in Jacksonville, Florida, in the dead of night. Just after midnight in February, his owner Ella Jones returned to her home and let Keymo off the leash in the front yard. In the time it took her to get ready for bed, Keymo was gone. She noticed food on the sidewalk and believes he was lured away. In the days following his disappearance, she talked to neighbours, handed out posters to everyone she met, drove around nearby streets, and contacted local radio and TV stations. She also posted his profile on thePetfinder.com website and put up a reward for the much-missed puppy.
"A co-worker gave him to me from her litter and the first time I saw him, I loved him," says Jones, her voice shaking with emotion. "He was a companion, he was like my child and I just want him back home."
Emily and Ella, like a growing number of owners, have become victims of criminals who see companion animals as a quick and easy way to make a buck. There are no reliable figures for the number of dogs stolen in North America each year, as the police often don't distinguish between property theft and pet theft. However, the non-profit organization Last Chance for Animals based in Los Angeles estimates that two million pets are stolen every year, and PetLynx, a companion animal registry, estimates that one million animals go missing in Canada each year.
When Dorothy Pizzuti of Atlanta, Georgia, started the pet locator website Dogdetective.com in 1999 it was a site dedicated to lost and found dogs. Today it also features a dedicated section for stolen dogs.
"We've had a lot of reports from people about their dogs being stolen, so that's why I added that option about two years ago," Pizzuti say. "We average 250,000 visitors every month with 1,500 new members joining each month. About 10 percent of dogs reported as lost are reported stolen. It happens more than I thought it did."
With pedigree dogs costing hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, it's no surprise that some dogs are stolen and sold on the cheap. Why go to a reputable dog breeder when you can get what you want at half the price? Some steal dogs to use as dog-fight prey, a few may end up in puppy mills for breeding, and others are taken for ransom. Earlier this year, a family from Glendale in Colorado paid $1,500 dollars to get back their Yorkshire Terrier after he was stolen from their car. But there are other reasons for stealing a dog, according to former CBS journalist Linda Fields who runs Findfido.comfrom her home in northern Pennsylvania.
"There are people who actually go around and look for dogs to steal and they are doing it for a number of reasons," says Fields. "One could be that they intend to resell the dogs to laboratories or secondary sources, which is totally illegal but it happens. There are also scammers out there that people need to be aware of. People will call up and say wire me this money and I will send you your dog back when in fact they have no intention of doing that or they may not even have your dog."
Rumours of "bunchers" stealing family dogs for sale to laboratories have been circulating for years and Last Chance for Animals provided concrete evidence of the practice when it launched an undercover investigation of the dog dealer, C. C Baird of Arkansas. Last summer, Baird, who had previously been fined for animal cruelty violations in 1997, pleaded guilty to a string of violations under the US Animal Welfare Act. His wife, Patsy, also entered a guilty plea and a number of associates suspected of stealing dogs are also under investigation. A documentary on the case calledDealing Dogs was shown on HBO in February.
While some police forces will be happy to file a report, it won't be priority number one down at the local station house. The best chance you have of recovering your four- legged friend is to become your own private detective, says Pizzuti.
"Immediately go to shelters and put up posters in your area," she urges. "Start off with a 3-mile radius. If, after three days, you don't have your dog back, go to a 10-mile radius. Wait five, ten days and if you don't have your dog back, go to a 50-mile radius. Just keep going out. Go up to a 100- mile radius because we've had dogs 100 miles from home in three days. Some people will give up after a couple of weeks but we've had people who have found their dogs a year later. So don't give up."

Real animal lovers can play their part by refusing to buy cut-price dogs without the right paperwork or adequate background checks.
"There is obviously a market out there and the problem is that people buy stolen dogs," says Olmstead. "I feel that if you can't afford to buy a dog, you should not buy a stolen dog. People need to be made aware of what goes on." ■
Yolanda Brooks is a freelance writer who recently relocated from London, England, to North Vancouver, BC, Canada. Hailing from the land of Crufts, she thought she lived among the world's biggest dog lovers but she now realizes that North Americans really are world leaders when it comes to canine worship.
http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/dognapped-frightening-facts-pet-theft/147


CBC INVESTIGATES Dognapping in northern B.C. fuels fears of dog-fighting rings



‘You hear the dogs just tearing each other 

apart’

By Natalie Clancy, Yvette Brend, CBC News 
Media placeholder
Dognappings fuel fear of dog-fighting rings 1:56










Dozens of disappearing dogs are creating near hysteria among rural dog owners in northern B.C., a region plagued for years by rumors of organized dog fighting.
Witnesses hoping for further investigation have come forward to describe the violent events to the North Peace SPCA. and to police.
The rumours, coupled with the reported disappearance of more than 120 dogs in the past 12 months, are fuelling panic.

'Dogs just tearing each other apart'

One couple said they stumbled across an organized dog fight near Fort St. John.
"My dog just stopped dead in her tracks and jumped backwards," said the man, who told CBC he was walking his own puppy with his girlfriend, when they came across a circle of people huddled around "snarling" dogs in a fight in August or September of 2015, in a rural area near the city.
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Sherry Lafournie of Dawson Creek B.C. lost her beloved dog Braxton, and fears he was used in a dogfight.
"We heard all the growling and the fighting and them going crazy at each other. And the people going 'Yah! Yah! Yah! Get 'em. Get 'em!'" said the man who spoke on condition his identity was protected.
"You hear the dogs just tearing each other apart," he said. "Growling and snarling and barking — yelping when they were getting hurt."
What they saw — and heard — left them sickened and terrified that those who organize dog fighting, might turn on them.

Evidence difficult to find

People who work with animals in the area say this couple's fears are founded.
"I totally believe it," said Candace Buchamer, the North Peace SPCA. branch manager, of the witness account.
Dog Fight
Illegal American dogfighting rings have been raided in multiple U.S. states after investigations by the American Humane Society lasting years. This image is from video seized in a raid. (American Humane Society)
Dog lovers and breeders fear northern B.C. dogs are at risk. One found a mutilated terrier in a ditch that died of its wounds within minutes. Another found a skinned canine, missing its head and paws, with deep bruising and evidence a microchip had been removed.
Buchamer said 127 dogs have disappeared in the last year from the Fort St. John area alone; that's double the previous year.
"They are taking two to three dogs at a time ... so it is planned," she added.

 Injuries suggest dog fighting, said Buchamer

"We are seeing full intact animals with bites to their front limbs, their chest, their neck areas. It just doesn't add up."
Candace Buchamer
North Peace SPCA branch manager Candace Buchamer believes dog fights are happening in her community and pets are at risk. (CBC)
Buchamer said she has seen 12 dead or injured dogs that have come to the SPCA with injuries consistent with dog fighting.
"If a wolf or a coyote had tracked that animal down and had hunted it [then] they do not just kill it and leave it. They are hunting it to have a meal. You are going to see some sort of predation on that animal. That's not the case."
Buchamer said she is speaking as a dog lover and not in her official capacity for the SPCA when it comes to her suspicions about illegal dog fighting and dog thefts.
Sherry Lafournie's dogs: Braxton
Pit bull-cross Braxton (left) disappeared from Dawson Creek B.C., and his owner Sherry Lafournie fears he was used for baiting fighting dogs. (Sherry Lafournie/Facebook)
"The collars would be left on the chains they were tied on. The fences would be open. Some dogs would be stolen right out of the back of pickup trucks," said Buchamer.

Owners fear pets used as 'bait dogs'

Some owners believe family pets are not only stolen to fight, but also to help train fighting dogs to be aggressive. Buchamer says the American Humane Society has found similar evidence.
"They will steal old and sickly large dogs strictly to teach their fighting dog how to be aggressive. These dogs don't stand a chance against the trained dogs, and it's only meant to give them that thirst for the blood and to go until the death, " Buchamer explained.
The thought of this terrifies people who have lost dogs.
"I've been out there every day looking for my dog," said Sherry Lafournie.
Brad Tanner plays with dog
Brad Tanner believes his family dog was stolen, then shot in the back of the head when he raised concerns about dog-fighting rings near Fort St. John. (CBC)
She tears ups when she thinks about her beloved pit bull-cross Braxton. She fears he may have been stolen for use as a bait dog near Dawson Creek in January.
"Why else would you take a dog that you don't know?" she said.

Spike in missing dogs

Braxton is one of dozens of missing dogs whose photos appear on social media pages designed to help find them.
Several dogs have been found shot or mutilated, then discarded in roadside snowbanks.
chocco
Chocco disappeared from his Cecil Lake B.C. home, then turned up dead, shot in the back of the neck. (Brad Tanner)
Strange skinned carcasses and reports of suspected dognappers trying to lure mostly large bully breeds into vehicles have set off panic among dog lovers.
"We've had strange vehicles driving up and down the road turning their lights off, and then a week later my dog disappears," said Lafournier.
Brad Tanner's dog Chocco disappeared last year. The dog breeder who lives near Cecil Lake spoke out about dog fighting, convinced his dog had been stolen and illegal fight organizers played a role.
Then Chocco turned up — dead.

Family dog found shot

"[Chocco] was shot in the back of the neck, point blank range."
Tanner is convinced dog fights are happening, bait dogs are being used and that his dog was killed to shut him up.
"I caused enough shit that these people got nervous," said Tanner.
Roxy
Roxy disappeared in Fort St. John, part of the inspiration for the Facebook page, Stolen Dogs 911. (Stolen Dogs 911/Facebook)
"People will bet money on how long that dog will live for... all kinds of sick, sick things." Since then he has invested thousands in new fencing, security cameras and a dog tracking system.
He also started a Facebook page — Stolen Dogs 911 — to track the numbers of missing animals, even offering a $3,000 reward for information about dog-fighting rings.

Petition demands investigation

Tanner is one of nearly 1,000 panicked dog owners who have signed a petition demanding the province give the SPCA and the RCMP resources to investigate.
They point to the American Humane Society, which raided hundreds of U.S. dog rings, resulting in dozens of convictions.
Tanner can't understand the lack of action, insisting fears are not paranoia.
"It's undeniable. You tell me where 200 dogs are going in a year?"
Deuce Fort St. John missing dog
Deuce is just one of 127 dogs that have disappeared near Fort St. John B.C. in the past 12 months. (Stolen Dogs 911/Facebook)
CBC News Investigates

CBC News Investigates

s
in the past 12 months167 dogs have disappeared near Fort St. John B.C.
If you have information on this or any other story we should investigate, email us:Investigate@cbc.ca
Follow @NatalieClancy on Twitter


Monday, 4 January 2016

Lost Dogs of America

Lost Dogs of America

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The Lost Dogs of America website was created and is maintained by the two original founding members of the Lost Dogs network: Lost Dogs of Wisconsin and Lost Dogs Illinois.   We developed this website to share the articles, ideas and resources that we have gathered from our experience in the successful recovery of over 20,000 dogs.
Please click on the links below to report a lost dog in one of these states:
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Lost Dogs of America is pleased to partner with HelpingLostPets.com. We use this website to help us manage your listings as well as provide you FREE services like creating flyers and email alerts to other members in the area. You can view our listings from all of our states on their map at: www.HelpingLostPets.com/MAP