07/05/2026
Every July 5th, our county’s Lost Pets page is overflowing with heartbroken families searching for dogs that were terrified by fireworks and escaped.
If your dog is missing, time matters.
Here are some of the most important things you can do:
🐾 Put out your dog’s bed, your worn clothing, blankets, or anything that smells like home. Leave fresh food and water nearby, and if possible, place a trail camera or security camera on the area to see if your dog returns.
🐾 Post your dog everywhere!
Facebook, neighborhood groups, local lost pet pages, and neighborhood apps. Ask people to report sightings, but please ask them not to chase your dog.
🐾 Make flyers immediately. Keep them simple:
• LOST DOG in large letters at the top.
• One clear photo in the middle.
• Your phone number in large print at the bottom.
That’s it.
People need to be able to drive by and instantly recognize what they’re looking at.
Don’t just hand flyers to businesses. Actually go hang them on utility poles, street signs, and intersections throughout the area where your dog was last seen. Secure them well, and once your dog is home, go back and remove them.
If someone reports seeing your dog, ask if they’ll leave food and water out. If they have outdoor cameras, see if they can point one toward the area. Knowing when and where your dog is returning can make all the difference.
One of the hardest things for owners to understand is something called Lost Dog Syndrome.
When many dogs get loose, they enter survival mode. Their brain switches into fight-or-flight, and suddenly everything, even the people they love most, can feel like a threat. Your sweet, friendly family dog may run from you, ignore you, or seem like they don’t recognize you.
As hard as it is, chasing them or calling frantically often makes them run farther.
If your dog won’t come to you, your goal is to keep them comfortable and returning to one safe location where food, water, and a camera are waiting. If they continue visiting that spot, they can often be safely recovered, and if necessary, humanely trapped. If trapping appears necessary, we may be willing to help with that as well, but only if you’re open to following the process we use, which has been proven to successfully reunite owners and dogs. Reach out to us here on Messenger or at 843-933-9596. If we don’t answer, please send a text message.
If you see someone post about a lost dog and you want to help, one of the biggest ways you can help is by offering to help hang flyers.
It isn’t glamorous. It’s hot, it’s tedious, and it takes time.
But it works! ✅
We’ve reunited more owned dogs with the help of flyers! Many not even needing to be trapped.
Social media is an incredible tool, but it’s only one tool. Not everyone uses Facebook. Not everyone follows local lost pet pages. Visitors driving through town certainly don’t.
Here, unfortunately, dumped dogs are common. Someone may see your dog wandering and simply assume it’s another stray instead of realizing a family is desperately searching for them.
If you need a flyer made, send us a message. We’ll gladly create a printable PDF for you as quickly as possible so you can get copies printed and start hanging them.
If you’re requesting help locating your dog, every trapper has their own process, but I don’t know a single experienced trapper who won’t tell you the same thing:
Get those flyers up immediately.
They truly save lives and bring families back together.
💚 And finally, if you’d like to support the work we do, donations are always appreciated. Your generosity helps cover bait, fuel, monthly trail camera service, trapping equipment and supplies, and veterinary care for stray dogs that have no one to claim them. When we’re able to take those dogs into our rescue, your donations help give them the medical care and second chance they deserve.
Thank you to everyone who shares posts, hangs flyers, reports sightings, donates, fosters, and helps bring lost pets home. It truly takes a community. 🌎
