YYC Pet Recovery reunites lost pets with owners

They put up600 lost dog posters overfour daysand spent60 hours pounding the pavement.

In fact, the Petersens wereso determined to find their beloved Ralphie they were mistaken for burglars.

"We spent so much time on the streets that we had the cops called on us for prowling," saidEvan Peterson.

His wife, Nicole,even took three days off work to look for her nine-kilo "furbaby."

Though theCalgary couple were persistent, they sayposting aphoto of Ralphie onYYC Pet Recovery helped them track the little dog'sadventures from Bankview to the Currie Barracks construction site.

The Facebook pagehelps owners reconnecttheir lost pets through tips.

Janice ter Borg, a volunteer administrator for YYC Pet Recovery, says it's as simple asFacebookpage members spreading the word through social media,amplifying the information to thousands of people.

17,000 followers

Though she's not sure how many people have been reunited with their pets through the Facebook page, ter Borgsays, "We get so much feedback from people who have ... found pets, lost pets."

YYC Pet Recovery had about 1,200 followers before the2013 Albertaflood.

"It just blew up from there," says ter Borg.Today, the page has over17,000 followers and reaches anywhere form28,000 to60,000 people a week.

Cats and dogs are typically the types of animals that go missing, but there have also been plenty of reunions with turtles, bunnies, ferrets, parrots and doves.

More tips

Ter Borgsays even though it's illegal to let your cat roam freely in Calgary, it's becoming a big problem in the city.

She says, sadly, lost kitties are often notfound because people just assume they're outdoorscats.

If you're not on Facebook, you can still take steps to find your pet.

Be sure to report your lost pet to Calgary Animal Bylaw Servicesandwith the Calgary Humane Society, where you should also show up in person regularly to see if your pet has been brought in.

You can also call vets in your area, as well as post on Kijiji and hang posters.

• How far have you gone to find a lost pet? Tell us your story in the comments section.