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What should I put on a lost-pet flyer?

Lead with a clear photo and last known area.

Use a large LOST DOG or LOST CAT heading, a recent photo, and the last confirmed area and date. Give people a report link for sightings. Keep the same facts in your printed flyer and neighborhood posts so updates are easy to follow.

Sources and scope

Make the important details easy to read.

You can use these steps with any document editor. A FindLostPets report is not required to write or distribute your own flyer.

  1. Which photo should I use?

    Choose a recent, sharp photo where the pet is large in the frame. Show the face and recognizable markings; use an additional body photo online if helpful. Leave the pet’s appearance unaltered and avoid busy backgrounds or decorative filters.

  2. What details help people recognize my pet?

    Include the species, size, coat, and visible collar or harness. Add the last confirmed neighborhood or cross streets, city, and date. Label uncertain sightings separately instead of replacing the last known area with an unverified tip.

  3. How should people respond?

    Use a public report link or QR code with a clear request for the sighting’s location, time, direction, and photo when safe. A phone number is optional; use only one you deliberately choose to make public. Printed flyers can be photographed and shared online.

  4. What should I check before printing?

    Read a test copy at its intended size. Check the area and date, open the report link, and scan the QR code with a phone. Keep the main photo and contact route readable; move a long story to the linked report.

A neighborhood post you can adapt

Replace each bracketed field, attach your photo, and copy the text into your neighborhood post.

Post template

  • LOST [DOG/CAT] — [name or short description]
  • Last confirmed near [neighborhood/cross streets, city] on [date/time].
  • Look for [size, coat, visible markings, collar/harness].
  • If seen, please send the place, time, direction of travel, and a photo when safe through [public report link].

Keep out of the public post

  • Your exact home address or a finder’s temporary holding address.
  • Full microchip numbers, verification codes, or complete ownership records.
  • One or two identifying details you can use to check a claim privately.

Where should I share and update it?

Where can I put up flyers?

Ask permission at nearby businesses, veterinary clinics, community boards, and other places people in the search area visit. Check local posting rules and property restrictions. Keep yourself out of traffic when placing or reading signs.

Where should I post online?

Share in relevant neighborhood and lost-pet groups, following each group’s rules. Include the city in the post text, not only in the image. Ask helpers to share the original report link so people can reach current information.

What changes after a sighting or reunion?

Record a new tip as unconfirmed until you have checked it. Update the report and original posts when you have confirmed information, then replace outdated printed copies. When your pet is home, close the report, update the posts, and remove the flyers.

Sources, scope, and review

This is general recovery guidance. Local services, reporting procedures, and legal requirements vary. Use official local information where available.

FindLostPets.com is not an emergency, veterinary, animal-control, or law-enforcement service.

Published by FindLostPets.com · Last updated September 5, 2026 · General guidance; check local posting rules