The example flier and sign should be used as a template for your own flier and sign, and you should follow them as closely as possible.  The PDF files are read-only, so you can't directly edit these files -- you will need to enter the appropriate text into a new document using the word processing program or layout program that you have on your computer.  The example flier and sign contain a lot of text that you can use (and that we want you to use) word-for-word, and you can transfer this text using simple copy and paste.  If you want to copy text from your saved PDF document, make sure you are in the right mode that allows you to select text by pressing the button with the letter 'T' on it.  Then just highlight the text you want to copy and then select copy from the edit menu.  It is also easy to duplicate the look of the sign and flier, as we specifically designed them with a very simple structure that is easy to do in almost any word processing or layout program.  More importantly, the sign and flier were designed this way so that they would be most effective, so try to follow the format as closely as possible.

Even though your lost pet may not be an indoor-only cat, as in the examples, you would be surprised how similar the rest of your sign and flier should look.  Likewise, you may feel that your pet is not timid nor frightened so these phrases don't apply, but in actuality, the world of your pet is turned upside down.  They do apply very strongly, and these are the terms, in fact, that get lost pets home.  In this page we will go over what you need to say about your pet, including all the things that you wouldn't have thought fit your situation.  These are the important parts of the flier to focus on, because this is what makes the difference between fliers that don't work and fliers that do.

The following discussion will help you decide how to modify things as they pertain to your own situation.

Motivation -- You should be able to keep a lot of the motivational/explanatory text as-is, with little or no changes.  Examples of this would be the section at the top of the flier that asks people to 'please keep this flier and watch out your window for many weeks'.  The idea is to give people very concrete suggestions while at the same time making sure that they have a clear understanding of what to expect.  While many people may expect a lost pet to come around within a day or two, they really need to know that it may be quite some time, maybe even weeks, before your pet would risk making a daytime appearance.  If they think that a pet would be lost for only a short time, they might think that they only need to pay attention for a few days, when in reality your pet is likely to be out for much, much longer.

The entire top section above the title helps to set the tone of the flier and it helps the reader understand the reality of your pet's situation.  They need to know that your pet is 'scared and hiding', so they won't have the false expectation that your pet will be easily seen and out in the open.  They need to know that your pet 'can't survive on his (or her) own', so they don't mistakenly believe that your pet will know how to take care of itself, so they don't have to really be concerned.  The truth is that most domesticated pets have little or no survival skills, and are completely dependent on people for their well-being.  If your pet is a cat, you should consider using the phrase 'does not know how to mouse', even if you have seen your cat bringing dead rodents to your doorstep.  You should know that unless you have actually seen your cat eating a rat or a mouse, you should assume that they won't be able to use them for food.  They might have the instincts to pursue and even kill a mouse, but if they haven't been tought by their mother that mice are food, they will never go to the next step.  This is the case with almost all domesticated cats.  Readers also need to know that your pet is 'too shy to ask for help', so they won't wrongly expect your pet to just come up to their door and ask to be let in.  If they have an understanding of how your lost pet is behaving (which is the same as almost all lost pets), there is a much better chance that they will have the right level of concern and a more helpful response.

There are many other motivational phrases that appear throughout both the sign and the flier.  They reveal the true urgency of your pet's predicament, and they also help readers to avoid the common misunderstandings about lost pets.  They need to know that your pet 'needs help to be found', because if they think that this problem could just resolve on its own, they won't think that they need to do anything.  If they know that you are 'desperate to find' your pet, they will respond at an emotional level and be more likely to help, because they now understand the emotional impact of the situation.  These are all things that apply to lost pets in general, but aren't commonly known.  These phrases have been tested and refined over many years to the specific wording that works the best at conveying the gravity and urgency of the situation, and they effectively help your neighbors to care about what happens to your lost pet.

Situation -- This includes items such as when and where your pet was lost, and any special circumstances related to the case.  You shouldn't give the address where the pet was lost (we don't recommend it for privacy reasons, plus the exact address is not very helpful to anyone else, as the pet is likely to be moving about in a more broadly defined area).  You also should not give your address because some people will incorrectly assume that they are too far away to watch for your pet.

As far as special circumstances go, the example sign and flyer depict a 'worst-case' scenario with an indoor-only cat. If your own pet goes out sometimes, you should modify this to be 'mostly-indoor', etc.  Even if your pet is not an indoor-only cat, however, you should still use some of the key phrases on the example flier and sign that you might not ordinarily associate with your pet.  For example, you should still indicate that your pet is 'not aware of outdoor dangers'.  Even if you think that your pet seems pretty savvy at home, you should keep in mind that a lot of a pet's understanding of danger is situationally specific, so they don't necessarily transfer the knowledge about dangers at home to their new situation out on their own.  For example, if your pet seems to avoid cars and traffic close to home, it doesn't mean that they won't take unnecessary risks trying to cross unfamiliar roads in a blind panic when they are lost.  Even if you think that your pet is exceptionally friendly at home, you should still use the phrase 'afraid of strangers and won't ask for help'.  Being friendly when you are safe at home and well-fed is very different from being friendly when you think your very life is being threatened.  You need to take the opportunity to debunk any misunderstandings that people may have about lost pets, because if they don't realize it for the life and death situation that it is, they are much less likely to take is seriously and offer any help.

Education -- There are other key phrases on the flier that are specifically written to help readers understand the process of finding a pet.  Phrases like 'please look in any possible hiding places..', give specific suggestions of places to look, so that your neighbors won't have to come up with these ideas on their own.  Given a prompt such as this one, they are more likely to remember that they closed the back yard shed without looking, and they will be much more likely to check again there and in other places.  The phrase 'will need to be coaxed out by us, so please call us immediately' helps them understand that if they spot your pet they shouldn't necessarily just rush over and try to grab your pet, since this could just serve to scare your pet away, causing them to possibly run even farther away from home.  The phrase 'if you think you may have seen her at any time, please call so that we can try to retrace her steps' helps them to understand that catching your pet may not be a one-time deal, but may take a series of sightings that help to narrow the search.

Titles -- The titles on your sign and flier should be a short two or three-word description of your pet.  The idea is to have a title that can be seen from a bit of a distance, and short enough to be easily remembered as well.  Try to go with basic things like coloring -- things that someone who sees your pet would be able to recognize from a distance.  If you are using the colors for the title and your pet is multi-colored, it is generally a good idea to put the more predominant color first.  For example, if you have lost a Dalmation, which is white with black spots, you would use a title like "White & Black".  You should leave out the "Dog" part in the title if you have a picture, since that part would be obvious and there is no reason that it should take up so much space.  If you don't have a photograph or a graphic, you should put the species in the title (such as dog or cat), so that it is totally clear.  This will make the title longer, perhaps two lines instead of one, but it will be OK because there is more room without the picture.  You should resist the temptation to put a breed name, such as "Dalmation" in the title.  While there are many people who would recognize what this means, there are a surprising number who would not, or would possibly have the wrong idea of what a certain breed looks like.  "Dalmation" is probably not a good example, as it is fairly well known, but hopefully you get the idea.  It is better to go with the greatest common denominator of understanding, which would be descriptions in plain, basic laymen's terms.  It is OK to mention a breed name in the more detailed description area, as long as you also provide a good description using terms that anyone should be able to understand.

Changes -- You will need to make many changes to the text in all the obvious places, such as in the description of your pet and in the contact information.  You should also remember to make the small changes to things like personal pronouns (changing all occurences of she to he and her to him, if necessary).  This still leaves a lot of the text unchanged, however, which can both help you to save time in making your own documents and help make your sign and flier so much more effective.

If you follow the examples that you have downloaded, you can make a sign and flier that is focused and effective.  You can benefit from the many years of experience that has shown what works and what does not, and you can get a head start in the race to get your signs and fliers ready.  The sooner you can get them out in the extended neighborhood, the sooner they can be working for you and your lost pet. They are truly your best chance for finding your lost pet!
 
 

Congratulations, this is the last page in the series for lost pets!  We sincerely hope that you found this information helpful, and we are even more hopeful that it will help lead you to a happy reunion with your beloved pet.  We know from experience that if you are diligent and persistent, and if you make good use of the techniques we have described, the chances are extremely good that your search will be successful.

We wish the best of everything to you and your pet.