Designing your own missing pet poster:

​

1. Consider that the same poster can be:

 

• shared to social media

• emailed to vets; rescues; kennels and SPCA

• printed and pinned on bulletin boards

 

 

 

2. Choose a coloured background or coloured outline boarder to attract attention to your poster, if you are printing onto white paper.  ​

​

 

3. Use a straight forward, bold font that is easily legible. 

​

 

4.  Use a clear photograph of your pet to use on the poster. (Extra photos can be posted to social media for identification purposes, but for your main poster 1 clear photo is best.)

​

 

5. Type a large heading for your poster. Usually one word “MISSING” is clearest and attracts the most attention.

 

​

6. Type the area that your pet went missing directly under the main heading.

​

 

7. Next to the clear photograph of your pet clarify info about your pet. Be as direct to the point as possible so that the poster is easily legible.

Important points are:

​

• Name

• Gender

• Breed

• Age

• The date your pet went missing

 

​

8. Below this you could add a smaller section with information about your pet’s health requirements or you could add distinguishing features. This information should also be direct and to the point. It is not as important as point 7 and you could leave this off the poster, unless you feel the info is vital to the search.

 

​

9. Add your name and contact number

 

​

10. If you are offering a reward I recommend that you only type “REWARD OFFERED”.

This way if your reward increases, you do not need to alter posters. If your reward is large you will not attract as many chancers only wanting to cash in on a reward. Your sanity and calm attitude towards your search is vital. Chancers will only upset you.

 

​

11. Remember to make a note of the vets; SPCA’s; rescues; bulletin boards etc. you inform / pin your poster to

 

​

Posting on social media:

 

1. On Facebook, you can choose to share to your private profile, or you can create a page in the name of your missing pet.

If you post to your own profile, ensure that the post is published on a public setting, so that people who are not on your friend list can share the poster.

 

2. Post your original poster – you may want to post additional photos for identification purposes, but keep your missing poster as the main focus.

 

3. Re-type “****MISSING – AREA****” on top of your post.

 

4. Type a plea to those viewing the poster. Request that they share the original post.

 

5. Re-type the info from your poster  

• Name

• Gender

• Breed

• Age

• The date your pet went missing

Here you can add an extra section on distinguishing traits or health information.

Type in your contact details as it would be easy to copy and paste your cell number into a phone should your pet be found.

Add information on how your pet can be approached, and that people should call you immediately.

Once again request that your original post / missing page is shared and not copy and pasted on to other pages and groups. This is VITAL as it gives people another option of contacting you.

 

​

6. When sharing to WhatsApp groups, be sure to include a link to your original post or missing pet page so that people can share it.

When the info is copy and pasted another option of contacting you is lost.

 

​

7. Remember to make a note of the Facebook group; pages; WhatsApp groups you have shared to.

 

​

When your pet is found

​

1. Go back to your original notes of where you shared posters to and alert everyone that your pet has been found.

 

​

2. Thank everyone for their support. Communities really get invested into missing pets, so it is nice for them to receive thanks.

 

​

3. Post a “happy to be reunited” post to social media so it reaches those who shared your original post