Social Media Might Not Be Necessary to Find Missing Local Pets

Using social media to find a missing pet doesn’t always yield the best results. The most important factor in finding missing pets might not be the platform used to alert people, but rather how personal one is in relaying their message to the public.

Social media has advantages in gathering widespread support for animals that may be located within a large radius, but localized searches might yield better results from old-fashioned methods like door-to-door canvassing and fliers.

Missing Local Cats Found by Use of Fliers and Door-to-Door Canvassing

Lynn Mangano (34), owner of Lynn’s Animal Rescue in Marlton, NJ, found 4 missing cats after posting fliers and knocking on people’s doors. Mangano, who conducts localized searches, does use social media by posting to her rescue’s Facebook page when searching for missing animals, but has only found her missing felines as the result of an even more personal approach, posting fliers and searching door-to-door.

Cats play at Lynn's Animal Rescue

Mangano believes that her old fashioned methods serve her better than social media. “Talking to people sinks in, it registers more, ” she stated.

Persistence pays off, she said.

“Fliers and going door-to-door make all the difference...if you have the general area [where an animal would be found],” she added.

Mangano, who runs her rescue organization from her home where she houses about 45 to 50 rescue cats, is no stranger to having to search for missing animals. In the 2 and a half years since Mangano started Lynn’s Animal Rescue, 7 of the cats have gone missing. All but one were found. None were returned as the result of her social media outreach.

Smokey and Freddie the Cats Found after 90-Hour Foot Search

Smokey- back home and healthy.
(Photo taken by Lynn Mangano)

One of Mangano’s biggest triumphs is the return of her cats Smokey and Freddie to her rescue after they went missing in February 2014 shortly after being adopted by a couple in Haddonfield, NJ. After an extensive campaign in the Haddonfield area by Mangano and a few volunteers, Freddie and Smokey were both found --  first Freddie 3 weeks later nearby and then Smokey 6 weeks later 1.7 miles away. Both were emaciated.

“[It] took me 90 hours door-to-door on foot to find [Smokey]. Now he has a collar and an ID tag,” she said.

Both cats are back at the rescue.

Personalizing a Search for Lost Animals

Mangano doesn’t discount the use of social media but stated that what matters most is where you focus your search in order to make it a personal message. Of social media, she stated, “I think it definitely helps. You just have to focus on people in the right area, otherwise every cat looks the same to your average person.”

One way Mangano personalizes her searches is to offer a reward for her missing animals. She believes doing so makes the message stronger.

listen to ‘Lynn on Reward Money’ on audioBoom

The Successful Social Search for Louie the Dog

Louie, a black lab mix, went missing October 9th last year when the car he was in was stolen outside of a Home Depot in Philadelphia. His owner J.J. Pierce, a Philadelphia schoolteacher, headed a massive social campaign aimed at finding Louie and bringing him home. He was returned November 21st.

Like Mangano, Pierce felt that an emotional connectivity to her audience was key in getting Louie back.

Louie and JJ. Pierce.
(Reprinted with Permission from JJ. Pierce)

“Losing Louie was intensely emotional, and it was important for me that the people wanting to help

were able to share in that with me. I tried to post as often as possible (at least once every couple of days) and always included a photo of Louie with each post. I did this to make the story more personal, as well as to increase the number of photos and therefore the possibility of someone spotting him,” she stated.

Because Louie had been in a stolen car, Pierce and volunteer searchers were unsure of the area where he would be located. Because this was not a localized search, Pierce felt that social media was the best way to spread her message.

“I don’t think there is any way I would have gotten Louie back without the response from social media. The story spread to parts of the city that it absolutely would not have otherwise,” Pierce said.

Pierce had social accounts for Louie on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and possibly others she stated she might have been unaware of. Pierce had three social media “gurus” who helped her respond to all the leads she received through social media. “Team Louie,” a group of social followers dedicated to finding Louie, helped organize foot searches and raise reward money.

What to Do When Your Animal Goes Missing: Try Everything

According to the National Pet Registrar, over 10 million pets go missing every year, thousands of which go missing in the United States. Guli of the Mount Laurel Animal Hospital stated that when pets go missing people should take physical action like calling the local police (non-emergency number) and animal control but they should also go to social media. Facebook should be used above all the other (social) channels because you can relay pictures and you can get your message out there as soon as it happens.