Dog missing? Here's how to alert the neighbourhood
A runaway dog is a race against time. With the DOGSY missing-dog alert you reach exactly the people out with dogs in your area within seconds – free and without detours. Learn how the radius alert works and how to act when it counts.
What it looks like in the app
Two looks at the missing-dog section before you sign up: the open cases as a list and the same cases on the map.
What is the missing-dog alert?
The missing-dog alert is the search party in your neighbourhood. You create a profile – photo, name, breed, size and last known place – and DOGSY sends it straight to every Dogsyaner whose self-chosen alert radius covers that place.They see the case in a list and on a map, leave sightings if they've spotted your dog, and can message you directly. On top of that you can share the public profile on WhatsApp or Facebook so neighbours without a DOGSY account can look out too. It's all part of the DOGSY app and free.
How the radius alert works
From report to reunion – in five steps, exactly as they appear in DOGSY.
Tap «Vermisst melden» (report missing)
The button sits at the bottom of the missing-dog section. What opens first is not a wall of form fields but the guide «Dein Hund ist weg – was jetzt?» (your dog is gone – what now?) with the five most important immediate steps. Only then do you continue to the form.
Take over the dog instead of typing
Under «Welcher Hund?» (which dog?) you pick a dog from your dog file – name, breed, size and sex are filled in, and you can take over the photos from the dog profile. Everything stays editable. If it's someone else's dog, you choose «Anderer Hund» (another dog) and enter the details yourself.
Set the last known place
Under «Wo zuletzt gesehen?» (where was it last seen?) your address is already filled in; you can overwrite it, use your current location, and add the exact spot. Only name and place are required – photo, «missing since», distinguishing features and the phone number are optional.
The alert goes out
After sending, DOGSY confirms that the report is out. Every Dogsyaner whose self-chosen alert radius covers the last known place immediately gets an entry in the DOGSY bell – and anyone who allowed notifications also gets a push message on their phone.
Search together, then mark it found
The neighbourhood sees your profile in the list and on the map and leaves sightings with a note and a location. Once your dog is back, you tap «Hund ist gefunden» (dog has been found) – the search ends for everyone at once, and the shared profile shows nothing but the good news.
A look inside the missing-dog section
Two shots from the logged-in area: the open cases as a list, sorted by distance – and the same cases as paw pins on the map.
What is it good for?
Three everyday situations where the missing-dog alert helps:
The garden gate was open
Every minute counts now. You tap «Vermisst melden», pick your dog from your dog file – name, breed and photos are there already –, check the pre-filled place and send. Only name and place are required; you can add everything else later.
A strange dog is walking alone by the woods
You open the missing-dog section: the list is sorted by distance, so the nearest case is at the top. If a profile matches, you tap «Ich habe ihn gesehen» (I've seen it), write briefly what you saw and send your current location at the touch of a button – no address to type anywhere.
Half the neighbourhood isn't on DOGSY
«Suchmeldung teilen» (share the search) gives you a public link to the profile with a photo preview. Send it to the neighbourhood WhatsApp group or a Facebook group – the page opens without a DOGSY account, and the exact place stays blurred to an approximate area.
All of it is part of the free DOGSY account.
Map, report and sightings
Three tools the neighbourhood searches with – all in the missing-dog section of the DOGSY app.
The report
A guided path: first DOGSY shows you what to do in the first minutes, then comes the form. If your dog is in your dog file, you take it over with one tap – name, breed, size and sex are filled in and stay editable. The last known place is pre-filled from your address and can be overwritten freely. Only name and place are required, everything else is optional.
The map
One tap switches between list and map. The list is sorted by distance and shows the kilometres to you for every case; on the map you tap a paw and the profile opens. The map shows only open cases with a place – closed ones would be a false alarm.
The sightings
Spotted a dog someone is looking for? Leave a sighting on the profile: a short note and, if you like, your current location at the touch of a button – no address field, no typing. All sightings are collected in the case so the owner can follow the trail. You can withdraw your own sighting at any time.
Your dog is gone – what now?
The first hours matter most. Go through these points before and while you report.
- Stay at the last spotMany dogs return there. If possible, have someone wait and leave a worn piece of clothing – your own scent draws the dog back.
- Call calmly, don't chaseChasing drives the dog further away. Sit down, speak calmly, use treats or the squeaky toy.
- Report the chip as missingIn Switzerland this runs through the AMICUS dog database. If your dog is found, any vet can see from the chip number that it's being searched for.
- Inform shelters, vets, policeCall the shelters and vet practices nearby and report the dog to the police. Found dogs almost always end up there.
- Mobilise the neighbourhoodThis is where DOGSY helps: your alert instantly reaches every Dogsyaner nearby – the people out with dogs every day.
Found a dog? Here's how to help
A stray dog without an owner nearby? Here's the fastest way to get it home.
Check DOGSY
Open the missing-dog section in the app: maybe someone nearby is searching for exactly this dog. The map shows open cases in the area.
Report a sighting or contact the owner
If a profile matches, report a sighting with location and a hint, or message the owner directly – every clue can be decisive.
Go to a vet or the police
Have the chip read at a vet and report the find to the police. Via AMICUS the owner can be found right away.
Why search with DOGSY?
Straight to the neighbourhood
The alert goes to Dogsyaner nearby – not to an anonymous internet, but to local dog people who can actually look.
Bell and push
Every alert is filed as an entry in the DOGSY bell – that one always arrives. If notifications are allowed, a push message reaches the phone on top of it.
A profile to share
Every case gets a public page with a photo preview – shareable on WhatsApp, Facebook or with neighbours, even without a DOGSY account.
Checked by DOGSY
Reports can receive a verification mark from the DOGSY team – a signal the neighbourhood can trust.
Privacy built in
The last known place is shown only as an approximate area (about 100 m), never as a pinpoint private address.
Completely free
The missing-dog alert is part of the DOGSY community and free for all dog people.
Honestly: what the alert can do – and what it can't
A missing-dog alert is a safety feature. So we'd rather tell you its limits up front than have you find out when it counts.
No place on the map, no radius alert
The alert needs the last known place as a point on the map. Without it the report still shows up in the list – but nobody is notified automatically. So always set the place.
The bell always arrives, push only with permission
Every alert is first filed as an entry in the DOGSY bell; that one always arrives. The push message on the phone comes on top – but only if notifications are allowed.
No public list of all cases
List and map live in the app, behind the login. Only the single profile the owner shares is public. An open map of all missing dogs deliberately doesn't exist at DOGSY – it would give away home addresses.
At most three reports a day
One alert reaches many people at once. That's why each account can file at most three missing-dog reports in 24 hours. It keeps the alert serious – and your neighbourhood attentive.
Your home stays protected
A missing dog usually runs off close to home – so the last known place is often near your address. That's why DOGSY only ever shows an approximate area publicly (about a 100 m grid), never a pinpoint address. The shared profile disappears completely the moment you mark the dog as found.
Frequently asked questions
What does the missing-dog alert cost?
Nothing. The missing-dog alert is part of the free DOGSY community. You only need a free account to trigger an alert.
Who gets alerted when I report my dog missing?
Every Dogsyaner whose self-chosen alert radius covers the last known place. They're notified instantly by push message and via the DOGSY bell.
Can everyone see my exact address?
No. Only the approximate area is shown publicly (about 100 m), never a pinpoint address. Your home stays protected while the neighbourhood still knows where to look.
Where do I find the map of open cases?
In the DOGSY app under «Discover → Missing». One tap switches between list and map; the list is sorted by distance, and on the map a tap on the paw opens the profile. There is no public map of all cases, for privacy reasons.
I've seen a dog someone is looking for – how do I report it?
Open the profile and tap «I've seen it». You write a short note and can send your current location at the touch of a button – no address to type anywhere. The sighting appears in the case immediately and can be withdrawn at any time.
I found a stray dog – what should I do?
Check the missing-dog section in the app to see if someone nearby is searching, report a sighting or contact the owner. Also have the chip read at a vet and report the find to the police.
How do I share the search with neighbours who aren't on DOGSY?
Every case has a public profile page with a photo preview. You can share the link on WhatsApp, Facebook or any group – the page opens without a DOGSY account.
What happens once my dog is back?
You mark the case as found. The search ends for everyone immediately, and the public profile no longer shows any details – just the happy news.
Be there before you have to search
The best time to join the neighbourhood is before anything happens. With a free DOGSY account you help find runaway dogs – and if it ever counts, the whole area helps you.
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The missing-dog alert is part of the DOGSY app. Only the approximate area of a case is shown publicly, never a pinpoint private address.