There are very few things in life as emotionally draining as losing a beloved family pet. For many pet owners the feeling is not dissimilar to losing a member of the family. Every year in the UK, thousands of family pets are stolen or go missing, however, there are a number of organisations – commonly referred to as “pet detectives” – who specialise in finding and retrieving lost animals.

What are pet detectives?

Pet detectives are people or organisations who specialise in finding lost or stolen animals. Although to many, the idea of paying for someone to investigate the disappearance of a lost dog or cat may sound foolish, many pat detective companies employ people who specialise in animal behaviour, which helps them track stray animals. Some companies even employ people with police experience, which is beneficial for those who believe that their animal has been stolen. Normally, such organisations charge a fee for the retrieval of animals, but there are some people who will offer their services for free to those who don’t have the necessary means to pay, or for those who are unable to search for their animals themselves due to age, illness or a disability.

Common situations in which pet detectives are required

Many people will consider hiring the services of a professional pet detective to be excessive, and it is certainly the case that many missing pets that are found are tracked down by their owners. This is especially true of common pets such as cats and dogs. However, more exotic pets, for example snakes, are not so easy to find as they have different survival patterns to domesticated cats and dogs. Also, in the case of animals that have been stolen, pet detectives are trained to implement sophisticated investigation methods, deal with ransom demands and, if necessary, make use of DNA testing equipment to prove the ownership of a pet. Most pet detective agencies can be found in the phone book or online, and would be happy to provide pet owners with all the information they need, including quotes, via their customer service desk.

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