When a beloved pet suddenly goes missing, the owner’s heart skips a beat. Worry and fear are uppermost in one’s mind followed by a sense of urgency or even panic over what to do. Time is short…the longer a dog, cat, or other animal is on its own (outside of its normal environment), the less likely Fido or Fluffy will be reunited with his/her owner. Pet Detectives can help! Sure, movie-goers fell in love with Ace Venture, the goofy investigator specializing in locating lost animals. Though in real life, a missing pet is no laughing matter.

Pet Detectives, a branch company of Missing Pet Partnership, is led by Annalisa Berns who began providing the locator service in California eight years ago with her search dog, Lilly. Now, Berns has contacts and search resources in several states and regions, including Central Florida. When contacted by a client, Berns says her organization goes through a number of steps to locate the missing animal. For example, a search dog is often used for scent tracking to determine the direction that the missing pet took. Staff canvasses the neighborhood to solicit information from neighbors and pursue reported sightings with unlimited follow-up. Pet Detectives also creates and distributes posters. Berns says, “I advise the owner to offer a reward.” She adds encouragingly, “However, most people find their lost pets on their own.”

Pat Totillo, an expert K9 handler and search and rescue specialist located in Orlando, relies on her German shepherd, Tango ─ one of seven canines in her search team ─ to look for local lost pets. “I got sick of saying ‘no’ when people asked me to help find a missing dog or cat,” Totillo says. “Tango loved switching to searching for pets instead of people. Every pet has a unique scent, although Tango has a limited time when he can search and get a direction for the missing animal.” She also warns that not all outcomes are positive. Sometimes a pet is found deceased. However, this at least gives closure to the owner.

The duo, in affiliation with Pet Detectives, have been helping pet owners in Central Florida for the past year and have, so far, worked on over 25 cases. Recently, a client whose cat had been missing for nine days was found (alive) in the home trapped under a dresser. “That case was very rewarding personally,” said Totillo. Another successful case involved a Chihuahua that had escaped from a Daytona hotel and was found just two days later in the nearby woods. “I was hysterical,” says Taylor Battistelli, owner of the five-pound pup, Pippi, who had run away from a pet sitter at a hotel. “If it hadn’t been for Pet Detectives we never would have found her.”

Taylor saw an ad for Pet Detectives on the internet and got in touch with Berns who then connected her with Central Florida based Totillo. “Pat (Totillo) did a lot more than just tracking,” Taylor said. “She immediately put up posters everywhere and checked Facebook and the local humane societies ─ far more than I could have done on my own.” It was, in fact, a tip from one of the posters that led to Pippi’s safe recovery in a campground across the International Speedway…a happy, tail-wagging ending!

Utilizing the resources of Pet Detectives is affordable for most people. Berns says that, after talking extensively with the pet owner to be certain that Pet Detectives can truly help with the situation, there is a $20 initial consultation fee. Afterwards, costs are usually $300-$500, depending on travel time for the search team. Average time spent with a client is 8-12 hours.

The organization is always looking for more help. Berns says Pet Detectives welcomes volunteers who have useful skills, such as law enforcement officials, people with a military background in search and rescue, or those with private investigator licenses.

Berns emphasizes how important it is for pets to always wear a collar and tag, even if they are in-door pets. She also says to think of a missing pet as “lost” not “strayed.” Animals do become disoriented sometimes and simply can’t find their way back home even when they want to. They need someone to come find them. Pet Detectives specializes in finding dogs and cats, but Berns is willing to search for almost any kind of lost pet no matter what the species. “We do things people can’t do on their own when searching for a lost pet,” Berns says. “Even if a pet is missing for 24 to 48 hours, it does not mean all hope is lost. Don’t give up!”

Visit PetSearchAndRescue.com or call 1-800-925-2410.