My dog is lost: what to do.

Right away

1. 1

   Stay where it ran off, or leave someone there

   Many dogs come back to the place where they lost their owner. If you have to leave, put down a piece of clothing you have worn or its blanket: your scent helps it find its way back and wait.

2. 2

   Do not chase it

   A dog frightened by a storm, a firecracker or an accident can run far and even avoid people it knows. If you see it, do not run after it or call it insistently: crouch down, look away and let it come to you, with a little food if needed.

3. 3

   Check your details in AMICUS

   In Switzerland every dog must be microchipped and registered in AMICUS, the national dog database. A vet or the police reading its chip will find your name there: make sure your mobile number and email are correct.

4. 4

   Post an alert with a photo

   On Animalerte it is free and needs no account. Add the chip number: it is shown on the alert page and the search finds it. The alert appears on the map with an A4 poster to print, and messages reach you by email without your number being published. Once checked by the team, your alert is also published on our Facebook and Instagram pages, unless you opt out.

Who to tell

• Vets and animal shelters in the area: found dogs are taken there to have their chip read.
• The police, who have chip readers and take reports of found animals.
• Your municipality: in several cantons it takes care of found animals.
• The forester or game warden, if your dog got lost in the woods.
• STMZ, the Swiss lost and found animal centre: its online report is free. Use it rather than its phone line for missing animals, which is charged at a premium rate.

If the search takes longer

• Put up the poster around the place it ran off and along its usual walks: bus stops, shops, vets, trailheads.
• Share the link to your alert in local community and neighbourhood groups.
• While you keep searching, extend your alert from your private link: it stays online for 60 days, and each extension resets it to 60 days from that day.

If someone finds it

Whoever finds your dog must tell you or, if they do not know you, report it to the authority designated by their canton (article 720a of the Swiss Civil Code). In the meantime they must look after it with care.

If the owner cannot be found for two months, the person who reported the animal and looked after it with care can become its owner (article 722). When the dog is returned to you, they are entitled to have their expenses refunded and to a fair reward. Hence the importance of posting your alert quickly and keeping your details up to date in AMICUS.