Do you know how to design the most effective poster for your lost dog? KEEP IT SIMPLE.
- Text should include the word “MISSING” or “LOST DOG”. Say where your dog went missing (be specific) and when (date and time).
- Include one main photograph of your dog that shows their most distinctive markings. Your dog should ideally be standing and photographed from the side. This allows people to better understand the size, shape, and build of your dog.
- You can include additional photos, but keep them smaller. You have limited space on your poster, and one large clear photo is better than 3-4 small, blurry photos.
- Contact information, ideally two contact numbers (just in case someone is unreachable for any reason). You can also add an email address or QR code that links to your social media.
This is also applicable for any social media posts you make, but we have specific recommendations for utilising social media here.
You can also utilise the following:
- doglost.co.uk is brilliant for helping to providing a free and distinctive poster template. You can also register at any time, and pre-make posters even if your dog isn’t missing. We do recommend everyone does this; hopefully you’ll never need it!
- doxdirect.com/help/free-missing-pet-posters/ is a fantastic resource from the folks at doxdirect.com; you can upload your poster for free, and they will print and deliver 50 copies to you.
Photos
We all have hundreds of photos of our dogs, but capturing their cutest moments sadly won’t be that useful for social media and lost dog posters!
We recommend taking a set of photos of your dog, ideally once they are fully grown. You should take a photo from each side, and from the front and back of your dog. If your dog has any distinctive markings, scars, or tattoos, take separate photos of those as well.
Here are some example photos:
Good Example
This is a good photo for a poster. It shows the fully body of the dog, and is taken in sunlight so all the markings are very clearly seen. It also shows the size and shape of the dog well.
Okay Example
This is an okay photo for a poster. It shows the dog’s face clearly, but you can’t see the size and shape of the dog very well. It’s also difficult to tell if there are any distinctive markings on the dog, especially as you can’t see a lot of their body, legs, and tail.
However, if this photo was used in combination with the photo above, it would be very useful on a poster!
Bad Example
This is a bad photo to choose for a poster. The dog is wearing a jumper which obscures their fur colour. The photo is taken from a distance, and even the dog’s face markings aren’t very clear. It’s also difficult to guess the size and shape of the dog.
It also isn’t very useful in combination with the previous photos. It doesn’t provide any extra information.
The only time this would be a useful photo is if the dog was lost whilst wearing this exact, distinctive, jumper!