It's traumatic losing a pet, but there are more options nowadays to help find them.
At Web sites such as findtoto.com, petharbor.com, petfinder.com and craigslist.com, pet owners have all sorts of tools to use to get the word out, including e-mail blasts, phone alerts, postcard blitzes and faxes.
"There are a lot of different things available," says Brenda Mitchell, an educator for Central California SPCA. "People need to just do the steps while using them."
Among Valley pet owners, Mark and Lori Ruh are currently trying some of the options while searching for their son Jimmy's 11-month-old white Lab, Colby. The dog was last seen in the family's backyard in east Fresno on Sept. 15.
A lot of tears have been shed.
When the old-fashioned ways of trying to find a lost pet, such as posting fliers, aren’t enough, today’s pet owners can try higher-tech methods.
The Ruhs first searched by posting 130 flyers near stop signs and at businesses in their neighborhood and running ads in The Bee. They continue visiting the Central California SPCA to see if Colby is among the strays or injured. They also check with animal control workers, who can hold animals for just five days.
Then, the Ruhs turned to the Internet.
"It opened our eyes to how the process works," Mark Ruh says.
But still no Colby.
Kelly Joos, director of Valley Animal Center in Fresno, says it is important that pet owners try the various options.
"Petfinder.com and findtoto.com are wonderful avenues for people to use," she says. "You can reach a lot of people."
Findtoto.com, for example, uses phone alerts to help find lost pets, charging a fee. Users declare how many neighbors they want notified, fill out the missing pet information and enter the ZIP code that can reduce neighbors' phone numbers to within a mile radius. Findtoto.com says it finds 7 out of 10 lost pets.
The Ruhs paid $70 for 250 neighbor phone alerts. However, they received just two callbacks, including one from a relative.
Craigslist.com provides a pet discussion forum. The Ruhs chatted about Colby, his appearance, where he was last seen and how much he meant to the family, particularly Jimmy. A couple of people responded that they thought they had spotted Colby.
"With every lead, Lori combed the area," Mark Ruh says.
Still, no Colby.
Lori Ruh says she has been amazed at the compassion people show toward her family.
"They just want you to find your pet," she says.
Lori Ruh also has returned the favor. In the search for Colby, she was able to find a lost dog that a Fresno man chatted about on craigslist.com -- a mature boxer. The man offered a reward.
But, Mark Ruh said, "Don't worry about it."
The Ruhs just want Colby.
Petharbor.com sends out the postcard blitzes with colored photos of the lost pets. Its fees range from $399 for 500 postcards to $1,299 for 3,000.
The Ruhs declined that option.
Joos says pet owners are smart to have a microchip with contact information inserted in their pet. The microchip -- the size of a piece of rice -- is injected between the animal's collar bone. Cost is $25 for a dog or cat.
If an animal strays and is picked up by animal control workers, shelters scan the animal for the microchip information, usually a number. Shelters, veterinarians and online services use the database nationwide to link lost pets with owners.
"Ninety-five percent of microchipped animals do come home," Joos says.
Colby? He's got a chip.
The Valley Animal Center also presents disaster-preparedness courses for pet owners to know what to do if something happens to their pets. Although the course is designed for natural disasters such as fires, hurricanes and floods that can displace pets, the course information can also be applied to people losing their pets.
The course teaches pet owners to take photos of their animals, get them microchipped, distribute posters and know what medications their pets need.
"We've come far since what happened with Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans," Joos says.
Joos says she is surprised Colby hasn't been found and returned, particularly with the options used by the Ruhs.
"What they've done is absolutely everything we tell people to do," she says.
Of Colby, Mark Ruh says, "He needs a GPS."
Then, he gives the family phone number: (559) 246-6557.
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