Tag Trace

  

ChipTrace

If you could spend ten minutes researching a disconnected phone number and get a shelter animal home - would you do it?

Here are quick and easy instructions for shelter staff to do free searches and find the lost families of shelter animals.

This is easier than , , because you only need to do the steps in . That small investment in time will get more animals home, free up space, save money, and spread good karma!

01/22/2012   How to Trace Dead End Microchips and Tag Information on Found Animals
by Marilyn Knapp Litt ( marilyn at marilynlitt dot com )  
(Permission to cross-post with this header information left intact.)
     
These instructions are for use when an animal's contact information leads to a dead end. (The instructions are all below, and are not to be confused with the Google ads at the top or to the right side of my instructions.) If you need help, I am happy to do a trace for you.  
     
FIRST SOURCES TO CHECK These sources will only take a few minutes to check  
     

Search on a person's name to find any contact information

If you do not have the name, search on the address (reverse lookup tab) or phone number to find out the person's name and then search the name.

An awesome neighbor search appears when you get a match. To see this feature, select "listing details"  and then "find neighbors."  Next door neighbors often know where someone has moved.

(SOME areas have "local" Dex pages and those are better than the national version.)

  

Search on the name.

  
     
SECOND SOURCES FOR NAMES These sources are if you want to give it one more try  
     
Name search only   (If the name search fails, you get a service charging a fee. Reverse phone is a fee service only.)

  
Name search only   (If the name search fails, you get a service charging a fee. Reverse phone is a fee service only.)  
     
SOCIAL NETWORKS, ETC. For the persistent searcher!  
     
Name   Email   Username   Phone

This is a very interesting resource, at the bottom of the page, suggested FaceBook profiles are pulled up		  
     

Name  Phone  Email  Username  Friends

If name search succeeds, you get the info.  If the name search fails, you get a service charging a fee.

You can use a username found on Pipl in the Spokeo search.  People often reuse their username.

  
     
FaceBook is a good resource, but I would not use it until the last, unless you are searching an unusual name.  If the first name search does not work, add the city.  If you have success, try to message the person.  If you can message them without being a friend, it will be in the upper right-hand corner. 



Otherwise, click the ADD AS FRIEND button and in the lower left hand corner, it says ADD A PERSONAL MESSAGE.  Describe the animal and give your contact information.  Post on their wall if you are able as well as send a message.   A friend may see it and contact the owner.  IF you find the person, look to see if you can tell at the top where they work. There are a lot of abandoned FaceBook accounts, so this should not be the only way to reach out if an animal only has a few days. 		  
       
Use the "People Search." This is a name search, but like ZabaSearch, will show possible relatives. It may show congregations and organizations.    
       
Inexpensive and useful service where you can search people, phone numbers and addresses.    
       
Inexpensive with lifetime membership, tracks license number and has other useful searches.    
       

TIPS

A reverse phone number or address search will  give you the name of a person.

A neighbor search on an address gives you the names of people who live nearby and who should be called as they may know where the family moved.

Do not stop with leaving one message.  The person may not be home and might be reading FaceBook.  Or someone might not use FaceBook, but might answer the phone. The trick is to leave many messages at different places.

IF you have to make an extra click to see the info you searched on, a screen will pop up to charge you. This is without exception.  The pay service may or may not give you the information needed.  I usually do not pay, but I do suggest Net Detective because you get three years of unlimited searches for a modest price.  NetDetective is a second source, even though you pay for it.  The free searches I designate as first sources are better.

This is meant to be a resource to quickly try and break through a dead end.  The many creative ways to find an animal's lost family are beyond the scope of these instructions.  For additional help finding someone, .