Share one clear post with a photo, area, date and number in your local groups, then keep it current and leave one detail out.
The short answer
To post a lost pet on Facebook and Nextdoor, write one short post with a clear photo, the species and color, where and when it was last seen using cross streets, what to do if someone sees it, and your phone number. On Nextdoor, post to your main feed or a relevant group, because there is no longer a dedicated Lost and Found category, and set the audience as wide as you can. On Facebook, post to your own public profile, then join and share to the local lost and found pet groups. Then keep the post updated rather than posting over and over.
What to write
Lead with the facts, not the feeling. A good post looks like this: LOST DOG, Elm St and 5th Ave, Oct 28, about 7 p.m. Max, medium brown male with a red collar, shy with strangers. Please do not chase. Call or text 555-010-2345 with the time and place you saw him. Nextdoor’s own guidance suggests including the time your pet went missing, a description, any special instructions such as do not chase, your cell number and a few good photos. Keep the whole thing short enough to read on a phone without tapping more. Our tool writes this for you in the right format when you make your poster, and copying it is free.
Photos and the poster image
Put your poster image or a clear single photo first. A square or vertical image takes up more of the feed on a phone. Add a second, full-body photo if you have one. Check that the phone number can be read at phone size without zooming in. If your image contains the poster, still type the details into the text, as words in an image cannot be searched by people looking for a match. Avoid filters or photos with several animals.
Facebook steps
First post on your own profile and set it to public, so that friends can share it. Then search Facebook for groups with your city, county or state and words such as lost pets, lost and found pets, or lost dogs. Join all of them; some groups have an admin who has to approve you, so join now rather than later. Also look for your town’s community group and neighborhood buy-sell groups, and read each group’s rules before posting. Ask friends to share the post from the original rather than copying it out, so that when you update it, each share shows the correct version. Local shelters may have their own lost and found page, too.
Nextdoor steps
Nextdoor verifies that members are in the area, so this is where you can reach the people on the actual streets. Its FAQ says lost and found pets go on the main feed or in a relevant group, and it lets you set the audience to your neighborhood, nearby neighborhoods or anyone. Use the widest option that makes sense. Ask nearby neighbors to look under their decks and check cameras. Include the location in your post, and use your cross streets rather than your home address. Keep an eye on the replies and on the feed, in case someone posts that they found your pet.
Stay safe when the replies start
The BBB warns that con artists comb social posts looking for people who have lost pets. Keep one identifying detail out of every post, so that you can test a caller. Do not share your home address. Treat direct messages with extra caution, especially any that ask for money, a code or a link you must click. Ask for a photo taken today. Consider moving replies to one phone number that you watch closely. Read our post on lost pet scams before you go public, not after.
Keep the post current
When something changes, edit the original post and add a dated line at the top: Update Oct 30, seen near the school at 6 a.m. Ask group admins to replace outdated versions. Every week or so, share it again in the local groups if their rules allow it. Reply to each helpful comment, which also tends to keep a post visible. Comments such as no sign yet from our street are useful, too, so thank people and ask them to mention the streets they have checked.
When your pet comes home
Update every post right away. Nextdoor has Reunion posts for this purpose, which keep the original post in the thread so everyone following it sees the news. On Facebook, edit the first line to say FOUND, and ask the group admins to close or remove it. Update the shelter and registry, take down your posters and thank the people who helped, without naming a finder unless they agree.
Sources
Nextdoor Help, posting FAQ: help.nextdoor.com/s/article/FAQ-Posting-on-Nextdoor. Nextdoor Help, lost pet tips: help.nextdoor.com/s/article/Best-practices-Lost-pets. Nextdoor Reunions: blog.nextdoor.com/2022/09/29/nextdoor-reunion-posts. BBB Scam Alert: bbb.org/article/scams/8612-lost-pet-watch-out-for-this-text-message-scam.