(I Lost My Dog, FREE Lost Dog Search & Rescue Covering the Toms River Area of Ocean County, New Jersey)

Thousands of dogs are lost every year. Thankfully, many are found. What can be done to make sure you and your pet enjoy a speedy reunion?

Welcome to I Lost My Dog "Volunteer Lost Dog Search Team"   We are a non-profit  search and rescue lost dog recovery team covering the following Ocean County New Jersey areas: Toms River, Beachwood, Bayville, Ocean Gate, Pine Beach, Whiting, Manchester Township, Parts of Lacey Township and Berkeley Twp. Lanoka Harbor, Forked River and most of the surrounding Toms River Areas. Our volunteer dog search and rescue group is dedicated to help you find your missing dog. If your dog is lost It is Imperative you act quick and follow the information below. The quicker you act the faster and better your chances are to recover your pet. Contact Us and we will be happy to gather our Team together and join in the search free of charge. 

We are now enlisting the help of two K9's , Harley our Search Dog and Winter "Search dog in Training" for a faster recovery and more successful search.

How the "I Lost My Dog Lost Dog Search Group" got started.

Back in 2008 my Pit Bull "Romeo" escaped from a local doggie day care in Toms River. Through negligence, a door was left open by one of the attendants and Romeo bolted out of the facility and went running into the nearby woods. 8 of the best friends in the world must have seen the helplessness and despair in our faces and joined us, relentlessly, in a 4 day search literally from sun-up to sun-down to find Romeo. Well to make a long story short Romeo turned up about a mile away from our home 4 days later, battle worn and covered with over 200 ticks. I cannot express in words the feeling you get when something like this happens. Its a Helpless feeling, a feeling of despair that turns into desperation as every second passes. If you want to read more about Romeo's story go here: "Romeo's Story"

 Recently while checking out the local Lost & Found posts on Craigslist I came across a posting for a lost Chihuahua named "Luna" and forwarded it to my wife. The next thing I knew my wife Debbie was on the phone with Luna's owner and then told me to get ready that we were going on a search for a lost dog. We drove over to Manchester Township and met with Elli, Luna's Mom, and immediately I saw that same look of distraught and despair in her eyes that Debbie and I had just a couple of years earlier. I have to say even though we had just met Elli I had a flashback of Romeo's ordeal and I felt that we could not give up the search till Luna was safe at home. We enlisted the help of our neighbor, Pam, and began searching using what we had learned in the past. Luna was found the next morning by her owners several blocks away from her home. After receiving a phone call from Elli that Luna was recovered and safe a feeling of elation came over us knowing that the little Chihuahua named "Luna" was safe at home again. Now we want to help others in that same situation and that is why "We do not charge for our services. Our aim is to re-unite you with your lost pet as fast as possible" We are not doing this for money just for our love of animals.

Take these steps without delay:

* Check the immediate surroundings first, such as your yard and neighboring yards.

* Enlist your friends and neighbors in the search. The more people searching for your pet the better.

* Contact the I Lost My Dog Pet Search & Recovery Group immediately at: 732-240-4181, Volunteers will help you search and provide needed assistance.

* If your dog likes car rides, drive around your neighborhood calling the dog's name, hoping that he will run from where he is and jump into the car. Just be sure that you don't call your dog into incoming traffic.

* Tell everyone you see you are looking for your dog and to induce the dog to enter an open garage or fenced backyard. Give everyone your dog's poster.

* Sometimes it's best to pursue the dog by foot because you can go between homes and take unpredictable routes...just as your dog is likely to have done. Again, alert people as you go.

* In a survival mode your dog may seek shelter at night and forage for food early in the morning and travel in daylight so It is wise to search around day-break and while the sun is out.* If you spot your dog, DO NOT CHASE HIM! your dog may be in a state of shock, he may not recognize you at first and think you are trying to harm him and will run from you. The best chance for you to safely get his attention is to drop to the ground and call your dog. If you and your dog took obedience classes and he responds to "sit/stay!", you have the added advantage of potentially stopping his escape because he remembers his training.

When Our Pit Bull "Romeo" went missing I received an anonymous E-Mail saying " If you want to find your dog say this prayer" I did say it and it worked
"Jesus was lost and then he was found"

Tips for Finding a Lost or Missing Dog

  #1 Search the Neighborhood

If your dog is lost in his own neighborhood, ask family, friends, and neighbors to help scour the streets. Call the dog's name and listen very carefully. If your dog is locked in a garage, garden shed, or entangled in foliage, he may be barking his location. After calling his name, stop and listen for his response.

  #2 Post Lost Dog Signs

Print brightly-colored "Lost Dog" posters and tape them to telephone poles. Ask permission to post them at veterinary hospitals, pet supply shops, grocery stores, grooming salons, doggie daycare centers, churches, and community centers. Post them at parks where dogs and their owners congregate. The signs should include a recent photo of your dog along with the date and vicinity that he went missing, and offer a reward if you wish. Police suggest avoiding contact from unscrupulous individuals by refraining from including your full name and street address, especially if you are offering a reward.

  #3 Collar Tags & Microchips May Not Bring Your Dog Home

Contact local Police and Animal Control. Phone animal shelters, check their websites, and visit in person. Don't assume that your dog's collar tags or microchip identification will automatically assure his ticket home. Collars and tags can be lost, microchip scanners may be malfunctioning, and administrative errors can occur.

  #4 Use pet-friendly resources to spread the word about your lost pet.
There are plenty of resources out there that specialize in reuniting lost or missing pets with their families. Try the following:

• Call all the local Animal Shelters in the Area.

• Register your lost pet with Pets911: Pets911.com or 1.888.PETS911.

• Register your lost pet with Petfinder: Petfinder.com.

• File a report with Find Toto at FindToto.com.

• Check for Lost Pets on FidoFinder.com.

• Report your dog here: Lost Pet SOS.

• Report your lost dog to Best Friends Animal Society N.J. Branch at Best Friends.

• Post your lost dog information in the “Pets” and "lost & found" section on Craig’s List: Craigslist.org (with a recent photo).

• Another Place to Report your Pet is Lost and Found Pet Data Base: America's National Lost & Found Pet Database.

• Free Lost Dog Ads: QualityDogs.com.

• Contact Ocean County's I Lost My Dog Volunteer Lost Dog Search Team.

• Ideas on how to make an effective poster.

• Fill Out and Print a Free Online flyer for Lost Dog.

• Run a “lost pet” ad in the newspaper and community publications. Some will let you place the ad for free. Also be sure to search the “found” section of these publications as well!

*Once your dog is recovered PLEASE REMOVE your lost pet posting*