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Make certain you visit your local shelters in person, frequently.
That means more than once since the dog may end up in a shelter days
or even weeks after it is lost. Please do not trust overworked
shelter personnel to recognize your dog based on a verbal
description. Visit shelters within a radius of at least 25 miles or
more depending on your locality. For example: a large city will
have more shelters and humane society shelters than a smaller
community. Your dog could be in any one of those shelters. It could
have been picked up by a good Samaritan who inadvertently left the
dog at a shelter in an area away from where you lost it, in a
neighborhood where you would not think to look. Leave a photo at
each shelter with a description and day/evening phone numbers.
Contact the nearest Akita rescue. These folks can give you
additional advice specific to your area and they work the shelters.
Advertise in your local newspaper's Lost & Found section but do not
offer a reward. You can certainly reward any one who returns your
dog but advertising a reward opens the door to some strange
people. The majority of decent people picking up a stray dog are
sincere in their effort to get the dog home. They will post signs,
list with the shelters, or advertise in the newspaper. They will not
hold onto the dog waiting until you offer a reward for its
return. Anyone demanding a reward for return of a dog most likely
will not have the dog, or will have stolen the dog. If you want to
give away your money, make a donation to your local Akita rescue
group.
Make up a flyer with a clear photo of the dog and all phone numbers.
You can post the sign in pet supply stores, supermarkets, bulletin
boards and send a copy to local veterinarians.
Don't give up. There have been many cases where a missing Akita
turned up weeks, even months after being lost. Here are some
websites to help in your search:
Internet Lost & Found
http://www.ilostandfound.com/
Visit Pet Finder
http://www.petfinder.org/
A nationwide database for lost and found
pets
http://members.aol.com/thepetpage/
The PetWork Lost & Found
http://www.petwork.com/petwork_lost_and_found.html
Pet Locator
http://petlocator.org/
Lost Pets International
http://www.flealess.org/lostpets/index.html
Get your dog microchipped BEFORE it is lost and
increase the odds that your Akita will be returned to you.
For more information, visit these websites:
http://www.homeagainid.com/index.cfm
http://www.avidmicrochip.com/answer.htm
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