• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Inside Press

Magazines serving the communities of Northern Westchester

  • Home
  • Advertise
    • Advertise in One or All of our Magazines
    • Advertising Payment Form
  • Digital Subscription
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Login
  • Print Subscription
  • Contact Us

leash

Where Oh Where has My Little Dog Gone?

March 7, 2014 by The Inside Press

What to Do if your dog is Lost

By Maggie Mae…with Ronni Diamondstein

I have to say I am a pretty good dog and always stay close to my owner. But to tell you the truth if I saw a squirrel and was off my leash I would chase it forever. I am always on a leash so I have never been lost, but I have seen dogs wandering around town without a leash or their owner. That made me sad, so I decided to find out what people could do when their dog is missing.

Joe, a Cocker Spaniel who was lost and brought in from Mount Kisco by a good Samaritan, gets lots of TLC from Lisa Bonnano-Spence,  Development Manager at SPCA of Westchester in Briarcliff Manor. Photo by Ronni Diamondstein.
Joe, a Cocker Spaniel who was lost and brought in from Mount Kisco by a good Samaritan, gets lots of TLC from Lisa Bonnano-Spence, Development Manager at SPCA of Westchester in Briarcliff Manor. Photo by Ronni Diamondstein.

When I contacted Officer James Moore the Animal Control Officer for the Town of New Castle and Town Supervisor Robert Greenstein for advice, they told me that every year either Moore or police officers pick up dozens of lost dogs. “There are even more,” said Moore, “because the good Samaritans in this town pick them up too.  Sometimes they keep the dogs over night until we can take them to the SPCA in Briarcliff Manor.” The town has a contract with that SPCA of Westchester to shelter dogs that have been lost in our town. It’s a no-kill shelter and that is good news to me.

As soon as you realize that your dog is gone take immediate action. Call the police and report the dog missing. Both Moore and Greenstein suggested using Social Media as well. “Chappaqua Moms on Facebook is a great place to post a lost dog,” said Greenstein. That sounded like good advice to me. When my owner checked the Internet, she found other Facebook groups, pages and websites like Lost Pets of Hudson Valley that help reunite pets with their families. And there are national lost pet networks like  www.petkey.org.   Posting a picture of your dog is very helpful. Moore also said to contact local veterinarians and kennels like Gracelane in Ossining.

Ask people to help you look for your dog. It’s a good idea to have them bring along something that your dog likes to hear. The shaking of a treat box or the squeaks of one of your dog’s toys, will attract your dog to come toward them.

Man the phones. Someone needs to be home if your dog’s identification has your address and phone number on it. “Do have your cell-phone number on your dog’s ID tag if you are out searching,” said Greenstein. Moore said that if a dog is picked up and doesn’t have any form of identification there isn’t much the town can do. “Micro-chipping is important so make sure the information that the microchip company has is up to date.” Moore said it also helps to register your dog with the Town. It is one more form of identification. Remember that if you have an Invisible Fence and the dog has a special collar for that, 
he or she needs an ID-collar too.

If you haven’t found your dog by the second day, post signs with contact information and your dog’s picture all over town.  Give these flyers to delivery people like UPS and FEDEX and postal carriers. They drive all over town and may see your dog on their routes. And you can expand your search.

Don’t give up. If your dog has proper identification and a microchip you’ll probably be reunited sooner or later.My owner says, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That makes sense to me.  Moore agrees and says that the most important thing you can do is to take precautions so that your dog doesn’t get lost. Now there’s another article for me to write.

Contact Maggie Mae Pup ReporterTM at maggiemae10514@gmail.com

Maggie Mae lives in Chappaqua with her adoring owner Ronni Diamondstein, who, when she isn’t walking Maggie is a freelance writer, PR consultant and award-winning photographer. Visit Maggie Mae’s blog: 
www.maggiemaepup.com

Maggie Mae’s Must Do:
SPCA of Westchester-Walkathon and Pet Fair, Saturday, May 3rd, from 10am-2pm at FDR State Park in Yorktown Heights, NY. There are over 70 Sponsors and Vendors at this fundraising event with food, fun games and activities for people, their pets and kids. Walkers can sign up at the event that day for an entry fee donation of $20 or $35 for a family or you can go online to www.spca914.org and form a fundraising page asking people to sponsor your Walk for the shelter animals. If you raise $100 you get in free.

Filed Under: Maggie Mae Pup Reporter Tagged With: invisible fence, leash, lost dog, micro-chip, missing

Primary Sidebar

Please Visit

William Raveis – Armonk
William Raveis – Chappaqua
White Plains Hospital
Houlihan Lawrence – Armonk
Houlihan Lawrence – Briarcliff
Houlihan Lawrence – Chappaqua
NYOMIS – Dr. Andrew Horowitz
Raveis: Lisa Koh and Allison Coviello
Purple Plains
Compass: Miller-Goldenberg Team
Korth & Shannahan
Douglas Elliman: Chappaqua
Compass: Aurora Banaszek
Terra Tile & Marble
Play Nice Together
Beecher Flooks Funeral Home
David Visconti Painting & Contracting
King Street Creatives
Pinksky Studio
Temple Beth El

Follow our Social Media

The Inside Press

Our Latest Issues

For a full reading of our current edition, or to obtain a copy or subscription, please contact us.

Inside Armonk Inside Chappaqua and Millwood Inside Pleasantville and Briarcliff Manor

Join Our Mailing List


Search Inside Press

Links

  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Digital Subscription
  • Print Subscription

Publisher’s Note Regarding Our Valued Sponsors

Inside Press is not responsible for and does not necessarily endorse or not endorse any advertisers, products or resources referenced in either sponsor-driven stories or in advertisements appearing in this publication. The Inside Press shall not be liable to any party as a result of any information, services or resources made available through this publication.The Inside Press is published in good faith and cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in advertising or sponsor driven stories that appear in this publication. The views of advertisers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher’s.

Opinions and information presented in all Inside Press articles, such as in the arena of health and medicine, strictly reflect the experiences, expertise and/or views of those interviewed, and are not necessarily recommended or endorsed by the Inside Press. Please consult your own doctor for diagnosis and/or treatment.

Footer

Support The Inside Press

Advertising

Print Subscription

Digital Subscription

Categories

Archives

Subscribe

Did you know you can subscribe anytime to our print editions?

Voluntary subscriptions are most welcome, if you've moved outside the area, or a subscription is a great present idea for an elderly parent, for a neighbor who is moving or for your graduating high school student or any college student who may enjoy keeping up with hometown stories.

Subscribe Today

Copyright © 2025 The Inside Press, Inc. · Log in