SINGAPORE: A desperate family took to social media (Oct 28) offering a S$800 reward to find their dog, who had been missing for five days, reportedly last seen at Parry Terrace, Kovan, on Wednesday (Oct 23) at 11 am.
“Hello everyone, there is a lost dog around the Kovan area, and potentially in Hougang/Serangoon area as well,” the family wrote.
“He is a brown Singapore special with a blue collar on. He has been missing for five days now, and there have been no sightings so far,” they added.
The family also asked for help from “… anyone is in these areas, please keep an eye out for him!
Any help would be greatly appreciated. If you could also share this post with anyone who lives near these areas, that would be great. Thank you!”
The missing dog poster included three identifiers for people to watch out for. Besides having a blue collar, the dog has a distinctive scar on its left eye and floppy ears.
The family also urged anyone who may come into contact with their dog not to call or chase him, as he is “extremely skittish” or easily frightened.
How to handle a lost dog
According to the American Kennel Club, there are a few important things to keep in mind when it comes to approaching a lost dog.
Although reuniting the lost animal with its human family is the primary objective, there is a safe way to do it. After all, not all dogs are friendly, especially when they are frightened or under stress.
Given this, paying attention to the animal’s body language is important.
If the dog does not want to approach or seems aggressive, it’s better to take a photo or video, giving the pet parent or animal control a better chance at finding the lost animal.
However, if the dog is friendly and you can get a hold of it, keep the animal safe in a holding area, away from other pets.
The next step would be to check for identification tags and contact the dog’s human parent (if the animal has a tag) or the relevant authorities.