Up to 10 dogs go missing on sunny Anchorage days — volunteers are racing to bring them home

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - On a sunny day in Anchorage, as many as five to 10 dogs can go missing, according to an Alaskan lost pet volunteer.

A group of volunteers is working to bring those animals home — and offering advice on how to keep pets from getting lost in the first place.

How the volunteer operation works

Cynthia White has been rescuing lost pets in Anchorage for 11 years. Her operation begins online, with Facebook pages — including “Anchorage Pets Lost and Found” and “Lost and Found Pets Alaska” — where owners post information about missing animals.

“People who are hiking might have their dogs off leash —type situation,” White said. “In the summer, there’s just more people and pets out.”

Once a post is made on Facebook, volunteers print and distribute flyers around the neighborhood at no charge.

“Posters are the best tool to find out where a lost dog is. We always say putting up posters isn’t the most romantic or fun thing, but it really is the best tool, the most dynamic way to find out where an animal is,” White said.

White said posters work well because they reach neighbors who may not follow the online pages.

Once a dog’s general location is identified through community tips, volunteers set up feeding stations to anchor the animal to an area, then deploy humane traps.

“The trapping is really dynamic, and it’s kind of like if you’ve ever been dipnetting, when you get that fish, it’s like — you got the fish, you got the dog! It’s the best feeling,” White said.

Why dogs go missing more on nice days

White said weather plays a direct role in how many pets go missing.

“Bad weather keeps people and dogs inside, so that’s not so much of a variable,” she said. “But nice days really facilitate dogs getting lost.”

She said most lost dogs come from owners having their pets off leash and overestimating their dog’s recall ability. Off-leash encounters with other loose dogs, moose, or cars can cause even a well-trained dog to bolt.

White also noted that once a dog is on the streets, its behavior changes. A friendly, socialized pet at home can become skittish and difficult to catch once it turns a corner from familiar surroundings.

What to do if your pet goes missing

White said the most important step after losing a pet is to notify the community immediately by posting on social media pages.

“There’s a handful of lost and found pages, Anchorage Pets Lost and Found, Lost and Found Pets Alaska would be the most popular ones,” she said.

Volunteers can then advise on next steps. If the animal remains on the loose, the group may step in to set humane traps and monitor them remotely using phone cameras.

White said that animal control refers lost pet owners to them as needed.

Tips to prevent a lost pet

White said the best ways to prevent animals from going missing are:

• Keep dogs on a leash
• Inspect yard fences at the start of each season for holes, gaps, or broken slats
• Be aware that pets can dig under or climb over fences
• Microchip pets and keep them updated

For cats, White recommended “catios” to allow outdoor access without the risk of escape. For pet birds, she said keeping wings clipped is the most effective prevention, as birds most commonly escape when wings are unclipped and a door or window is left open.

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