Most people consider pets part of the family and do a really good job of providing the protection and care they need. But even the most diligent pet owner can have a pet slip through an open door and then the heartache begins. The American Humane Association offers these tips on how to protect your pet from getting lost and what steps you should take if your pet does get lost.

How to Protect Your Pet from Getting Lost

* Make sure your dog or cat always wears a collar with a current identification tag. Pet stores, veterinary offices, and animal shelters often have forms to order ID tags. While your pet's name is optional, the tag should definitely include your name, address, and telephone number (day and evening is best).

* Put a temporary tag on your pet when you move residences that includes a relative's or a friend's telephone number. Many animals are lost when owners are moving. Use masking tape over your current tag or consider purchasing an instant tag, now available at several pet stores and other related outlets.

* Keep a file with a written description of your pet that includes their size, markings, weight, and unusual features (like a white cat might have a blue eye and a green eye). Keep a photo on file to use for posters or to take to the animal shelter.

* Keep your cats indoors-and tagged! Many stray cats that end up at shelters are indoor cats that slipped past an open door.

* Consider getting your pet a tattoo or microchip. Tattooing is a permanent ID system that involves marking pertinent information on the skin of the pet. Microchipping involves implanting a tiny electronic capsule under the skin that can later be scanned (most animal care and control agencies, veterinary clinics, and research labs have scanners) to identify you as the owner.

* Keep dogs' license and rabies tags up-to-date as they also help shelters locate the pet's owner.

What to Do When Your Pet Is lost

* Act fast. Don't wait for days hoping they will come home. The quicker you begin your search for your lost pet, the better the odds of finding them. Some shelters only keep animals for a few days, while others are required to keep the animals for a week to ten days.

* Check your local animal shelters every day. Don't just call: go to the shelters and physically search for your pet. Many animals look similar to many others in the shelter. Your description of your pet may not be how a shelter staffworker would describe the same animal.

* Call all animal control officers (ACO's) in your town and surrounding areas. (ACO's often work through the police department and pick up stray animals.) Call them or check their shelters at least every two days. Some local humane societies have created websites to report lost or found pets. Check them daily, too.

* Use your pet's photo to make "lost pet" signs. Put them up in your neighborhood and in local post offices, libraries, pet stores, vet offices, groceries stores. Inform your vet and groomer that your pet is lost in case they receive a call.

* Place ads in local newspapers and offer a reward in case someone found your untagged pet and was thinking of keeping it.

* Watch the found ads. Respond to any that might be close to your pet's description. A week of wondering can make a white pet look a drab gray and their description may not be exactly fit how you remember "Snowy."

* Call the radio station. Some radio stations will broadcast lost pet information free. Give them very detailed information on where the pet was lost. Ask people if they have seen your pets. Let them know your pet is missing and offer a reward. Call your pet and check any places they could have become trapped, such as basements, garages, or under vehicles. Often lost pets will hide during the day, so be sure to go out again at night with a flashlight and call out for them. Sometimes a can of food can lure a hungry and scared pet to you.

-Provided by The American Humane Association.