The first thing you do is call your animal shelters and place ads in the newspaper.
Most hoaxers use lost pet ads to contact distraught pet owners.
They often choose ads that offer rewards for the return of the pet. If the owner refuses, they may threaten to hurt the animal. This almost always pressures the owner into paying. These crooks have a better chance of deceiving the pet owner and extorting money. The con artist claims to be a truck driver who, while driving through the area, found the lost pet.