To prevent the loss of a pet
Put a collar on your dog or cat with an ID tag that includes your name, phone number, and address. We recommend that you also write this information with indelible ink on a strip of masking tape and attach it to the inside of the dog’s or cat’s collar.
Sterilize your dog or cat. Doing so will greatly reduce the chances that it will roam and get into trouble.
Try to keep your dog or cat on your property. If you can put a fence around your yard to keep your dog at home, you should do so. Your cat can live indoors quite comfortably if you provide him or her with toys, a comfortable perch, and a sandbox, which needs to be cleaned daily. Do not put your dog on your roof for more than short periods of time, and only if it has perimeter walls that the dog cannot scale and only when you are present.
Train your dog to return to you on command.
While in public, walk your dog on a leash and be in control of your dog. Be prepared to protect him/her from other dogs and to prevent your dog from threatening or attacking others.
Prepare for loud events, such as New Year’s Eve, by keeping your pets in a safe, quiet space during the noise.
Install a surveillance camera on your home’s entrance so that you can see the direction your pet may have taken when it disappeared.
What to do if you lose your pet
Immediately inform the Centro de Control y Asistencia Animal, tel. 473-733-4839. Send them a photo of your pet (ccontrolanimalgto@hotmail.com) and follow up your report with a visit. The center is located at Calle Arboledas s/n, Colonia Arroyo Verde, next to the Yerbabuena sports field, and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Tell your neighbors. Put up posters in your neighborhood with photos and a description of your pet. Offer a reward for its return. Post notices on social media, such as Amigos’s Facebook page.
Contact other groups online, such as Mascotas/Guanajuato, Adopta Guanajuato, and Corazón Animal.
Take copies of your poster to all the veterinarian clinics in the city and to local stores and ask them to display them. Place an advertisement in one of the daily papers and offer a reward for your pet’s return. Ask the local radio and TV stations to report your loss. Be sure to include information about how to contact you should someone find your pet.