What to Include on A Missing Pet Poster (Including Free Template)
It’s one of the most frightening experiences in the life of a pet owner, that moment when you realize that your beloved pet is nowhere to be found.
If you find yourself faced with this situation, one of the most important things that you can do is to get the news out and fast!
Today, we’re going to look at what to include on a missing pet poster to increase your chances of finding your best friend quickly.
While it may be a little ‘old fashioned’ in the age of technology, printing and distributing a missing pet poster remains one of the most effective ways of spreading the news to your local community.
That is why it is so important to act quickly!
However, many pet owners rush to put something together only to forget important details or cram far too much information onto the page, making it nearly impossible to read for a passerby.
Don’t forget, most people that will see your poster are either walking or driving past.
You only have a few short seconds to capture their attention and relay the information necessary to aid in your search.
Today, we’re going to look at a few tips and tricks to create and share an effective missing pet poster including what information to include, where to display your poster, and more.
Before we get started, we need to touch on the most important thing that you can do for your pet at this time, and that’s to stay calm!
It’s easier said than done, but your pet is counting on you to keep a level head and take the steps necessary to bring him/her home safely. Any additional stress or anxiety will only make your job more challenging.
If this means that you need to get someone else involved, don’t hesitate to reach out to your friends and family for assistance.
What to Include on A Missing Pet Poster
As I mentioned above, the key to an effective missing pet poster is to include ONLY the relevant information to help bring your pet home.
Including too much information requires you to use a smaller text sizing, making it harder for others to read. This could result in people completely overlooking your poster, which isn’t going to accomplish anything.
Instead, you want to grab their attention to share the important points in a short and concise manner.
Eye-Catching Headline
The headline needs to grab the attention of those passing by, encouraging them to look at the poster a little closer. For this reason, you want it to be short, sweet, and to the point.
Simple phrases like ‘Lost Cat’ or ‘Missing Dog’ are most effective.
Choose a large, bold text to make your headline stand out at a distance. Bright colours will also help make your poster eye-catching.
Pet’s Name
While some people will argue that this information can be left off, simply including a name on your poster will make it seem more personal to those that view it.
This will appeal to the emotions of those that are viewing your poster and can further encourage them to make an effort to assist with your search.
A Brief Description of Your Pet
Describe details about your pet’s appearance that will help others to identify them effectively. This should include your pet’s breed, coat colour, age, sex, and any unique markings.
If your pet is wearing a collar, include the colour and/or a description of the design.
This is also where you should include any pertinent medical details. Examples include whether or not your pet has a medical condition that others should be aware of and whether your pet has been fixed (as this can help in terms of identification).
Finally, if your pet is microchipped, include that here.
TIP: When describing your pet, leave one small, specific identifying feature out of your description such as a unique marking or spot. This can then be used to verify with someone that it is, in fact, your pet that has been found.
Date and Location Last Seen
Try to be specific when describing the location, such as stating a street address or intersection. This will help encourage people to keep their eyes open if they are in that general area.
Clear Current Photo
Use a high-quality, clear, colour photo of your pet. A large majority of the people that may encounter your pet have likely never seen him/her before, so this is a very important piece to consider.
Make sure that the picture is as recent as possible, reflecting any changes in fur colouring, length, etc.
If you are printing your poster onto coloured paper, your picture should be printed on white paper and attached to the poster to ensure that the colour shown is as accurate as possible.
Contact Information
Include a phone number where you can easily be reached in the event that someone does spot your pet. Be sure to use a clear and easy-to-read font to prevent any confusion.
You may also choose to include small tabs at the bottom of your poster that others can tear off to easily keep your phone number on hand where they can find it.
To make the process easier during such a stressful time, I have created easy-to-use templates for both Missing Dog and Missing Cat posters.
These templates can be easily customized on Canva using a free Canva account.
To access the FREE Missing Dog/Cat templates, sign up for the Shed Happens Mailing List.
Where to Display Your Missing Pet Poster
Now that you have a well-designed missing pet poster, it’s time to print it off and display it around your community.
Focus your attention largely on the area in which your pet was last seen, as well as areas close by that they may have travelled to during the time that they have been missing.
In addition to posting your poster outdoors, make sure to put it up on community bulletin boards. You can also ask at local veterinary offices and businesses, as they may be able to put your poster up in their window or on a bulletin board where their clients will see it.
If you live in a smaller, close-knit community, you may want to consider the face-to-face approach.
Let your neighbours know that your pet is missing and hand out posters directly to those who may see him/her.
Be aware that, in many areas, posting flyers or posters on utility poles is not only unsafe but also illegal. These poles are private property, belonging to the utility company or municipality.
Other areas that may be restricted (depending on your location) include bus shelters and postal boxes.
Posters that are placed in restricted areas are likely going to be taken down, meaning that they aren’t going to help you with your search. Additionally, they may cost you a hefty fine!
Additional Tips and Tricks
- Consider placing your poster in a page protector or wrapping it in plastic of some form or packing tape to protect it from the elements.
- Share a digital copy of your poster on social media. If you have a location-specific Facebook group or Nextdoor login, make sure to share it there to quickly reach people in your area.
- Attach your poster to a bright-coloured poster board to help it stand out at busy intersections. You can include your headline and contact number on the poster board with a black permanent marker to highlight the importance.
Most importantly, don’t lose hope!
Have you ever been involved in the search for a missing pet? Feel free to share any tips and tricks for creating an effective missing pet poster in the comments!
Feature Image Credit: StockSeller_ukr | Canva
This is a great post and definitely something we should all know – just in case. Although obviously it’s the last thing any of us want to think about. There was a missing dog in my area a month ago, there were posters everywhere near us. Thankfully the dog was found though! x
Yes, it’s definitely not something that we want to think about BUT we should be prepared just as we are with any other emergency.
This is great. I’ll never forget in my childhood when our cat went missing, we put out flyers everywhere and our neighbour found him!
Rosie
I’m so glad that your neighbour found him! My girl Pippen got out once. She was quickly found on our front porch, but I can only imagine the emotions that I would have experienced if that wasn’t the case.
This is a very helpful post. I remember when I was volunteering at my local nonprofit, a patron came into the lobby frantic about her lost dog. I asked if she had a flyer or something we could post on her behalf to spread the word and she only had photos in her phone. Having a template like this would have been so helpful for her.
At that moment, most pet owners are panicked. That’s why it’s so important to consider what you need to do in advance and save tools like these templates so that you can handle an emergency with a level head. I know, looking back at the past, that I’ve been in a state of panic after discovering that I can’t find a pet. The best thing that we can do is to create a plan that we can carry out as easily as possible while our head isn’t entirely clear.
Great advice Britt. Having a pet go missing is a traumatic experience and having a sign to put up in the neighbourhood is a big help. The template you’ve provided will assist pet owners to get their pet back quickly.
I really hope that it does! It’s not much, but at least I can help those pet owners during a difficult time of their lives.
I’m so glad you posted this. One thing I’ve learned is that these missing pet posters bring a much higher awareness to local people. We have missing pet Facebook pages where many people go to when they lose or a find a pet but not everyone has social media and not everyone knows to go to these pages. I have helped find pets due to flyers posted around town more often than I have through a fb post.
Yes, definitely! It’s one of those situations where ‘old faithful’ is still the best choice. Plus, it only takes a few seconds to drop the digital version of your sign into the various FB groups and social media platforms. So, it’s easy to get both options rolling and working in your favour.
These is great advice, Britt! You covered all the essentials so well. I definitely stress the bright colors, especially the cardboard or paper you are using – a large square of hot pink definitely gets seen! I’m glad you mentioned using plastic wrap for the sign, they can get water logged and torn so easily.
Love & Biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
Sadly, a single rain could greatly hinder your efforts if you aren’t taking steps to protect your signs against the elements.
You would think that everybody could figure this out but I can imagine how they’d fail, particularly under the stress of having their dog lost. I would be freaking out.
I don’t think I would be able to think straight at that moment, which would really increase the chances that I’d miss something or make a mistake.
It saves so much time if you have a template ready! I can’t imagine the stress and trying to remember what to do and what info to include on flyers.
That’s exactly why I wanted to put the templates together. I know that I wouldn’t be in the right mindset to do it from scratch in that moment.
This post will be helpful to so many people, I remember when I lost my cat and we put up posters to see if anyone had seen her, these tips would have been so helpful to me back then! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
It’s such a stressful time. Even things that seem ‘common sense’ right now can be overlooked when you’re in the moment.
I hope I never have to make one of these, but this is such helpful and useful information! Thanks so much for sharing it!
I hope you don’t have to either.
I hope that my pets will never go missing, but it’s so good to know these tips just in case! Sadly I see lots of missing pet posters around, and on some of them, the photos are so unclear that I would be unlikely to recognise the pet if I saw it! x
Often, people throw things together in a panic. However, at that moment, we aren’t exactly thinking straight (for good reason). The result is a poster that doesn’t assist our efforts as much as we would hope… That’s why it’s important to have a template or plan things out in advance.
Great template and poster tips, there are a couple of factors I hadn’t thought of, but always good to know! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Anika
Thank you!
I knew there was a reason I try to sneak new pics of my orange turd almost daily! Lol. I hadn’t even thought about the value in that if he somehow got lost though. But that is so important. I can’t even imagine if he got lost either, and don’t want to. Without this template, I would probably have a full blown panic attack and hysteria. But these tips, especially keeping a level head and getting flyers put up is amazing!
I think that’s a common response in those moments – Our pets are family and the idea of them being missing is enough to send nearly any parent into hysterics! That’s why it’s so important to plan ahead.
This is such a great post, especially to highlight getting them ut there quickly! It must be devastating to know your beloved pet is out there missing. As good as it is sharing on social media, a good old fashioned poster reaches those out there, who may be able to spot them!
In my local area, there seems to be a rise in dog theft, which is just awful!
Sadly, we’ve been seeing a rise in dog theft in our area too. All the more reason to get the word out ASAP as you may be able to reach someone who saw something or has some information as to who is responsible, in those situations.
A missing pet can be such a sad event but this is such good information if the unfathomable should happen. My cat went missing and we were lucky that someone turned him in to the local pet shelter and his microchip was registered to our phone number. Marvelous invention for pets. Love that you have a missing pet template poster. I will return if I ever need such help.
It is a horribly stressful time. I’m glad to hear that your cat is home safe again! You’re right, microchips are a great way to make sure that your pet can be returned quickly if something were to happen.
Although it might seem like common sense, I can understand how people could struggle with these steps, especially when they’re under the stress of a lost dog. Personally, I know I would be freaking out in that situation
Definitely! I know that I would have a hard time keeping a level head in that moment – you go into panic mode.