Paris Hilton reportedly hired a pet detective, sought the help of dog psychics, and utilized drones to find her missing dog chihuahua named Diamond Baby. The socialite shared the details on her Instagram which became viral in recent days, wherein the incident occurred when she was at a photoshoot and were moving houses. Paris said one of the movers may have left a door open.
Missing Dog: Diamond Baby
The celebrity added she has employed a dog whisperer and was doing everything in her power to bring her dog back, as cited by the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday, September 20.
After stating what she felt regarding her missing pet and animal best friend, Paris promised a "big reward" for anyone that can bring back Diamond Baby.
Also Read: Grieving After Death of Pets Should be Respected and Taken Seriously, Says Expert
Lost Dog Best Practices
Losing a pet dog or other animal companions is a common occurrence, especially when an owner finds itself unable his or her pet that has gone missing. For years, there have been multiple incidents of missing pets caused by various reasons, including human negligence and accidental escaping.
In the United States, approximately 10 million pets are lost each year and a portion of this end up in the country's animal shelters. Unfortunately, only 15% of dogs and 2% of cats in shelters without ID tags or microchips are reunited with their owners, according to the non-profit organization American Humane.
In an advocacy called "Every Day is Tag Day," the American Humane encourages pet owners to ensure their dogs and cats have updated IDs. The initiative is a nationwide effort held annually on every first Saturday in April, where thousands of people in the animal care and control agencies gather. The event encourages owners employ best practices like equipping their pets with microchips in addition to ID tags.
Finding Your Lost Dog
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) provided 13 actions or measures to take into consideration a pet owner can do to find his or her lost dog or cat:
- stop all current engagements
- ensure your phone is with you
- sign up with automated services like "FindToto" or Lost My Doggie"
- produce the clearest picture of your pet animal
- place missing pet ads in all local papers and even on social media
- plaster posts with reward posters
- avoid economizing on your reward
- locate all nearby animal control agencies, rescue groups, and shelters
- visit all possible animal shelters
- attempt to have local radio and TV stations make an announcement for you
- make a careful search of your neighborhood
- post fliers in the offices of veterinarians for potentially injured or ill animal
- follow and never ignore all leads
Can Dogs Find Their Way Home?
A majority of animal behavior experts credit the navigating ability of dogs due to their hypersensitive sense of smell. This comes from the premise that dogs are well known for their ability to find their way home, as cited by The New York Times.
Theory suggests that a dog creates a "map of scents" from odiferous places like a food establishment or fertilized garden, even at least a small scent of its owner in the ground or air.
A study shows that dogs are most especially sensitive to the odor of a familiar person to them, which was tasted using MRI imaging in a brain area responsible for expectation of a reward, The New York Times reports.
Related Article: England: Pet Owners Force to Insert Microchip in Cats or Face Fine of More Than $600