Unless you can bring with you a LOT of help to spread the word, you may want to pay to have the message about your lost dog delivered to people in the area via methods such as postcards sent by snail mail, voicemail, and faxing. Here are some such service providers, and you may be able to find many more competitors by searching the internet.
SERVICES AVAILABLE
Flyer distribution service: This is a business serving the Northern Virginia area only (where AWOL Dogs is located): Door to Door Distributors
Postcard mailer services:
General DIY postcard mailing services: USPS's EDDM program *** Mailing.com *** Postcards.com (you provide the addresses)
Voicemailing services:
Lost pet related voicemailing services: FindToto *** Lost My Doggie *** Pet Amber Alert
General DIY voicemailing services: Called Everyone (allows you to record the message, and provide the phone number list of who to be called)
Faxing services:
Lost pet related faxing services: Pet Amber Alert
General DIY faxing resources: My Fax *** Fax.com (from your computer to fax machines of vets, etc; you provide the fax number list)
Yard sign makers: if you may want to spread the word with more than standard sized fliers hung up on telephone poles, consider local businesses that produce yard signs (which are VERY time consuming to make yourself) and also car magnets. This one specializes in large signs for missing pets: Find My Pet ASAP *** Here are a couple in Northern Virginia: Potomac Printing *** Color Service Printing & Graphics And here you can get a look at the pricing chart for a Florida company, to get a ballpark idea of what this option might cost - Just Yard Signs
Photo enlargement: make large signs with large pictures using BlockPosters -- check it out!
Emailing to vets, shelters & rescues: The Pet Rescue
Press release services If you believe there is an element that may help you beat the competition for media space or air time (something about your dog, you, the way in which your dog went missing, etc), you may want to consider getting assistance in writing and/or sending press releases out to the media: Send 2 Press *** eReleases Find newspapers for DIY sending of press releases (link is for Virginia) - US Newspaper links/VA
PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
Car Markers: from Neoplex Online (this is the brand recommended by the Missing Pet Partnership)
DOING IT YOURSELF
Listings of veterinarians, groomers and other pet-related businesses and services:
To generate listings for DIY mailing/calling/faxing etc, try using well known sites such as Yellow Pages and the Yellow Book.
Pet-related sources for shelters and rescues include PetFinder and Pets 911 (then click on Find Shelters & Rescues)
A sources for all pet-related businesses & services in the Washington DC metro area is: Metropets
Volunteers: Even if you can afford to hire people to perform all the services suggested on this page, you still need help for the tasks for which you can't find merchants and service providers. There are people out there that will help you do some of these tasks, but you have to ask them to help. Here are a few ideas, and let them lead you to more of your own ideas about where to go to find people that can help:
Craigslist (this link leads to the Northern Virginia CL, Volunteers section; but every community has a Craigslist, and you might also try the Pets section)
Petfinder AWO Search (if your dog is a pure breed, you may find help from the closest rescue organization for your dog's breed
IF YOU KNOW OF ANY OUTREACH SERVICE PROVIDERS, PRODUCTS, OR VOLUNTEER SOURCES TO SUGGEST FOR THIS PAGE, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL. Only those that are NoVA/DC specific or not location specific will be considered for inclusion on this page.
