Resources to find your lost pet
Tips for Finding your Missing Cat
If he/she uses a litter box, we suggest putting the DIRTY one outside (in a dry spot) near your house. Also take something that smells like you, and put it in a crate, or something else that will stay dry. (A large plastic garbage bag will sometimes fit right over a cat crate to keep it nice and dry.) Place a bowl of water out as well. If you put food out, put just a little bit so that he/she stays hungry and will be more inclined to stick around.
Posters are a key factor in helping to get cats home. If your cat doesn’t return the same day, we suggest making up at least 25-30 posters (to start.) Put them up all over the neighbourhood. Bus shelters and community mailbox stations are good places to post them, as are telephone poles. Place the posters in plastic covers (with the opening at the bottom), so that they stay dry. These can be purchased at Monks, Staples, or other office supply stores. Large Glad Storage Bags also work well and cost around $4 for 40 (from Walmart.)
Also knock on neighbours doors and ask them to check their garages, sheds, and any place that your cat could be hiding in their yard.
Our heartfelt thanks to your amazing team! We just can not express the true feelings of support and positivity you provided while being so organized, and amazingly effective! And thanks to Joe at Fort Victoria for keeping him safe overnight. We are forever greatful you were there for us and Cooper.
Christina Lloyd-jones
Words cannot express how grateful I am, you guys are absolutely amazing! Thank you thank you thank you! Saban is safe and sound and I couldn’t be more relieved.
Ella B
All we can say is wow! How this all played out tonight was not how we imagined it would go down. But I’m glad it did…. Jeny and I were talking with another neighbor outside for about 15 minutes after Terry and Barb left. Chewy must have been the first to hear the jingling of Rusty’s collar, then Jeny, then me. Chewy walked around Joel’s house and brought our Rusty to us…. It was so surreal. But the the real people who helped bring our family back together again was all the wonderful people from ROAM, and all the wonderful community from WP. ROAM is a great family as well! Thank you to Lesli, Rachel, Dixie, Carrie, Deb, Cyndi and Michelle for all your countless hours of spotting, putting posters up, placing signs all over the place! Cory and Bailey…. Thank you! I know this was just as hard on you two as it was on us. You stayed with us and also stayed positive always helping with our search. Communicating with us in the early days was crucial to helping find Rusty! Donna and Andy…. what can we say? You two have been there right from the beginning, you offered to help when you didn’t have to… you opened your home to us and made us feel welcome… you opened your hearts. For that, we are for ever grateful for the both of you. Joel And Katyanna…. you had strangers creeping around your house and you welcomed us because you also experienced losing Petme. You paid it forward and we thank you for that! George and Nette, George was always there to support our family. From bringing us dinner in the woods, to giving up his favourite chocolate almonds,or hiking through the woods searching. And of course my tiny little older sister who has the largest heart that I’ve ever seen. She hiked hours on end and was the first who suspected the howling dog was Rusty, which she was right! She never gave up…. As she said, family never gives up on each other. Terry and Barb…. there’s no word that we can say that can fully describe how thankful we are for your help. Your experience and advice helped us stay calm and gave us hope to never give up! You kept us involved with every decision, every strategy and assured us we will find him. With out you, I don’t know if would have ever found Rusty. You didn’t just help us find a dog, you helped us find a lost family member who to me is one of my kids! I would be lost without him! Thank you all so much! Moises and Jeny
Moises
Dear ROAM, How can we possibly express our gratitude to the ROAM team?? Our cat Blue went missing 1.5 years ago and you are the reason he is back home with our family today. We rescued blue when he was a kitten through Dee’s Orphan Kitten Fund. He was found in a dumpster downtown with a broken tail. He instantly became a part of our family and a best friend to our daughter (age 2.5 at the time). He was the sweetest, most beautiful cat we had ever seen. We had 3 years with Blue until Boxing Day of 2018 when he went outside and didn’t return. With your help we posted missing posters everywhere and searched for months on end. I remember one member of your team encouraging me not to give up hope, that her cat had gone missing for 10 months and was found safe and healthy. We kept up hope for about a year before we started to realize he wasn’t coming back. That didn’t stop our daughter Hayden. She continued to talk about Blue regularly. Almost every picture she’d draw and every story she’d write in her school journal was about Blue. Two days ago when you texted me that picture of him I literally could not believe my eyes. A year and a half later???! The staff at the Point Ellis House where Blue had been spotted were so accommodating and helpful. The fact that you had him trapped within 24 hours is unbelievable!!! You were all so excited…. it’s extremely obvious how dedicated you all are to your cause. Blue is back home today and it’s like he never left. You warned me he could be frightened for a while which is what I also expected but the second I called his name he came right into my arms. Hayden has her best friend back thanks to you and we look forward to having many more years with him! I don’t think I could ever EVER express how grateful we are for what you have done for us. We will never forget this!!! Thank you! ❤️❤️❤️ Leanne, Nick & Hayden
Leanne (July 4, 2020)
Ricky has been FOUND!! Thank you so much to Barb, Terry, and everyone else who helped us last night and this morning! We can’t thank you enough! We’re so grateful that Ricky is home safe and sound. We will be ROAM volunteers from here on out. Thanks again!
Chris L (Ricky)
This is a very sincere thank you to ROAM for the excellent and immediate response I received when I contacted Lesli to report that my cat Mugsy was missing. After my week of fruitless searching, Lesli, through her contacts, already had a picture of Mugsy on the ROAM web site and I was able to focus my search where he was last sighted. Getting him back that night was wonderful. Thanks again to ROAM and everyone who contributed to his return with their words of encouragement.
Gail G
When our cat Harry disappeared, we were referred to ROAM.BC (amongst others) by our vet and found their quick response & organization incredible; from offering a ready-to-print poster and tips on how to help logically coax your animal home (when emotions flood in) and separate personal support emails, we felt the fortification of much encouragement! We had no idea there was such a service! Thankfully he arrived home on his own and ROAMBC’s closure was one of kind elation! A huge huge thank you for your readiness and help! – Faye
Faye
What amazing people/service🙂 Alan is my brothers dog- i had let him out this afternoon 2pm with out his collar:(- he slipped into the park and was gone- i was searching for hours for him before my brother got home – he arrived home and i broke him the news- its the worst feeling-we had paused our searched efforts in hopes he would find his way back- he was too lost -we made some calls and got in touch with roam- these people were on the scene within an hour -they were everywhere searching for hours- they kept in contact with me the whole time- and were relentless with there search – they had Alan back by 7pm before dark- what an amazing feeling- i owe roam bigtime – if you ever lose your pet – you need these people on your side- unreal service- thank you soo much!!!!!!
Justin F
On behalf of Queenie, all the local volunteers and the Puerto Vallarta SPCA (PVCA) we want to express our sincere gratitude for Terry of ROAM for his assistance. As you know Queenie arrived in Canada and was lost very shortly afterward, in the North Vancouver winter. She didn’t know where she was, and wasn’t used to the winter. As a rescue from Mexico, we relied on a group of random volunteers that came together, as well as a PVCA rescuer that flew up from Mexico. Within a very short time, you dropped everything to come to Vancouver despite the distance, with your equipment, your guidance, and your dedication. And even after leaving you were with us supporting remotely. Your contribution and your dedication to this dog and this group of strangers gives me great faith in humanity. We are grateful beyond words.
Deanna P
ROAM was our rock during the 98-day stretch our dog Olive was out on her own. The amount of effort the volunteers put in to her homecoming was absolutely amazing! They helped canvas neighborhoods, drove around at all hours, postered endlessly, organized a search party, set up feed stations equipped with cameras and delicious meats, watched live traps that had been customized with her fear of metal in mind, and constantly offered us their support and encouragement. Terry even flew to Arizona to pick up the remote-operated drop net used to capture her! At that time, Olive was regularly going to a feed station situated along a busy roadway. We were all concerned that her luck might run out with so much nearby traffic and the potential time lost with shipping was what prompted Terry’s flight. It really is impossible to put in to words everything ROAM did for us. Olive did not make capture an easy task! She moved neighborhoods frequently (View Royal, Colwood, Sidney, & Brentwood Bay), ran from any approach, and refused to go in to any trap as she had been trapped in the past. No matter how hopeless things felt at times, giving up was not an option considered by us or ROAM. We are so thankful that such a dedicated and positive group of people exists and were able to resolve this difficult case. It is an absolute pleasure to have our wild “little monkey” home again. Thank you Terry, Barb, Lesli, Rachel, Cyndi, Linda, Barry, Darlene…and all of the rest of the ROAM volunteers! You guys are the best.
Julianna, James and Olive