MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake resident Miles Douglass has been missing his dog Sissy, a Chinese lapdog breed, since last week and other dog owners in his neighborhood know what he's going through.

Douglass said dogs from at least two neighbors in the Knolls Vista area have recently gone missing.

Carmen Derting, from the Grant County Animal Shelter, said the first thing someone should do if their pet is missing is to call the shelter as well as local veterinarians and animal control.

"The best thing to do after contacting those agencies is to actually get a flyer with a picture and the best description you can get of the animal," Derting said.

Derting said flyers will be put on a missing pets board at the shelter and veterinary offices.

The shelter receives between 200 and 400 animals each month and about 85 percent are strays, according to Derting. The animals are only held for 72 hours.

"If they come in on Monday, they go out for adoption on Friday," Derting said.

According to the animal shelter, only about 14 percent of dogs and 4 percent of animals that end up in shelters are returned to their owners. The animal shelter offers animal microchipping for $20, which make it easier for the shelter to identify lost animals and return them to owners.

According to the animal outreach website, a good first step is talking with neighbors and friends to see if they have seen the animal.

Derting also recommends using Facebook and Craiglist to help spread the word of a missing pet. The Grant County Animal Shelter is located at 6725 Randolph Road NW. To report a missing or found pet, call the shelter at 509-762-9616.