Losing your pet at the most unexpected moment will certainly set off your panic buttons. According to animal welfare advocates, most pets are stolen just for the rewards that are being promised. But it could also be a deliberate agenda by commercial breeders who could earn thumping amounts just by selling off dogs of a better breed. This is because incidents of dogs of expensive breeds gone missing have been reported from time to time, the most recent one being that of an American pitbull from Delkanda, Nugegoda. Contrary to most countries Sri Lanka doesn’t have Responsible Pet Ownership guidelines and in the case a pet goes missing, law enforcement authorities too have limited scope to act upon. But once a pet goes missing you could certainly follow a few steps to ensure that the word is being spread.

 

 

“A decision to keep a pet should be well considered,” advised attorney-at-law and animal welfare advocate Lalani Perera.  “It is a lifelong commitment of caring – to a sentient being who like its owner, has feelings and a right to a safe environment. For a pet owner,  ‘Responsible Pet Ownership’ is vital. One’s pet should not become a nuisance to another. Pet owners have rights, but they also have duties. Several countries have  Responsible Pet Ownership guidelines which provide not only to the need to provide food, water, veterinary care, companionship and controlling re-production through spaying but even include pets in evacuation plans during emergencies. Sadly, in Sri Lanka, today we hear of people abandoning their dogs when they have to move house or subjecting the animal to euthanasia if, leaving the country.”

 

“Dogs and cats are the most popular pets. But, some keep dogs merely as status symbols or purely for their own protection, caging them to make them ferocious. If you genuinely care for a  pet, why not adopt a puppy or kitten from the streets and give it a kind home, rather than buying pedigreed animals bred and displayed in pet shops under horrendous conditions? Caging pets gives children a negative message that depriving animals of their freedom for our benefit or amusement is acceptable. A group of us through the Court of Appeal has recommended laws for responsible pet ownership and ethical dog breeding,” she added.

 

According to Perera, Sri Lanka’s Apartment Ownership Law of 1973, permits apartment owners to keep animals as pets in their units or in common parts of the property only with the written consent of the chief occupants of all units. While Sri Lanka lags in implementing laws beneficial for domestic animals the evolution of pet ownership has come to a point where pets have received global legislative and judicial recognition. For instance, a law in Alaska requires courts, in divorce proceedings, to consider the animal’s wellbeing also allowing joint custody. 

 

 

In the event of losing your pet, what you could mainly do is spread the word as much as possible. According to Tails of Freedom founder Shilpa Samaratunga here are a few tips you could follow :

• Have an idea of whether your pet had a collar or not 

• Design a poster in all three languages with a phone number or two, the area where the pet went missing and mention that a large reward will be given (some people steal pets just for the reward)

• Share it widely on social media, in personal groups, social media pages on organisations dedicated to pets 

• Lodge a complaint with the police 

• If there are cameras in the neighbourhood you could request to view recent footage from those businesses or houses 

• Distribute posters in three-wheel stands

 

However, Samaratunga also said that although there aren’t clear guidelines on how the Police should act in such a situation a pet owner could always get their help, say for example to go to an area where they can’t get to, because the complaint has already been made. 

 

Another option is to send details to the Missing Pets Sri Lanka FB page. “The basic idea of setting up the page was to have a database of missing pets,” said Kasun Lokuliyana, the page manager. “It has been about a year since I started this page. What we mostly do is canvass when we get details of a lost dog and communicate the case to the police station. Most of the time advertising it in a page dedicated to pets really helps because there are more followers. What we have realised is that all Police stations are not aware of responding to a situation like this. They will do an investigation but there is no clear guideline to act upon.”

 

• Never let your dog outside your compound unsupervised. Even if you feel you live in a relatively safe neighbourhood.

• Never leave a pet alone in a vehicle

• Beware of strangers who ask too many questions about how much such a dog costs, if it’s a pure bred and if it is neutered etc.

• Dog nappers are known to be brave enough to jump over walls to steal smaller pets.  Even in your own homes, keep an eye when your pet is alone in the garden.

• Keep gates locked and please tell everyone in your home, including your help to make sure gates are never left open.