CommentsANIMAL WATCH-Mark Janda is overjoyed to have his beloved cats, Buzz and Jazz, safely back at home after the harrowing experience of losing them recently.
Both Buzz and his female companion, Jazz, were adopted from the local humane society ten years ago and have always been kept indoors. But the unexpected happens, and even the most cautious pet owner cannot always estimate the ingenuity of a curious feline.
In Mark’s case, he and his wife were on a weekend trip and returned to find that either Buzz or Jazz (or both) pushed a window screen loose and exited via their patio. The cats' indoor cat condo is placed near a corner window so they can look outside, and the upper part of the window was slightly open to provide fresh air. Neither cat had ever made an effort to get out before.
Mark determined the escape occurred on the same day they returned, because a neighbor checked on the cats earlier and both were inside and comfortable. Remembering that the humane society advised upon adoption that both cats were found outdoors, Mark hoped they still remembered basic survival skills and how to get home. The Jandas searched frantically through the neighborhood that night, calling their furry family members’ names until midnight, with no response.
The next day, Jazz, who is a long-haired, meticulous groomer, returned home, expressing dismay with the mud that was matting her fur. But there was no sign of Buzz.
Mark relied on a traditional theory—that most indoor cats do not stray more than three to five homes away—to direct his most persistent efforts, but then he decided to expand the radius. The couple spent every night until midnight combing the area and calling for Buzz. They posted signs on poles and handed out flyers, seeking any information which could lead to him. They received a few responses and checked out all, but none led to Buzz.
Mark is the Northland District’s marketing manager in Minnesota for the U.S. Postal Service. After three weeks of nightly searches without any sign of Buzz, he was talking with a coworker, the district’s retail manager, Dan Mooney, about the frustration and grief over his cat’s disappearance. He explained he was spending every possible moment after work in the community trying to find him. Mooney suggested trying a Postal program designed for small mailers and businesses—called Every Door Direct Mail--which can be used by anyone.
“As he and I talked about the situation, it dawned on me that … Every Door Direct Mail [[[ https://www.usps.com/business/every-door-direct-mail.htm ]]] would be a great opportunity to target his neighborhood with a picture or two of Buzz with contact information,” Mooney said. “He could make up the flier himself and it would be a quick, inexpensive way to get the word out.”
MARK BECOMES A POSTAL CUSTOMER
So, Mark decided to become a customer of his employer and use Every Door Direct Mail to find Buzz. "First," he said, "you need an account with USPS, which is set up free. The next step is to go online to Every Door Direct Mail and to Process. Select the mapping tool to decide how many deliveries and how many routes you want to cover." (Most routes are 500 - 550 addresses.)
In Mark’s case, he selected just his own local carrier’s route, which is 538 addresses.
He then designed the copy, a flat over-sized card (cannot be folded) and had it printed on card-stock paper. Mark said he used three photos of Buzz and indicated that he was a neutered male and when and where he went missing. He provided 24-hour contact information for anyone who might have taken him in or seen him. In order to get attention, he posed the question above Buzz’ photo in large red letters, “Have you seen me?”
FINDING BUZZ
Mark received about ten responses about cats that turned out not to be Buzz. Then he received a call about 1-1/2 weeks after the mailing went out, that a cat matching Buzz’ picture had begun frequenting a backyard less than 200 yards from his home.
He went to the location, where the residents had managed to trap Buzz in a large carrier. However, he got away when they tried to move him into the back of a truck. Mark asked for permission to set a humane trap in their yard. They agreed and within 36 hours Buzz was safely caught and back home.
When Buzz went missing, he had just weighed in at 18 pounds during his regular visit to the vet. When he was found, he weighed only 10-1/2 pounds. Mark believes he would not have survived much longer.
Mark is not sure his original posted flyers would have been seen by the particular neighbors who helped Buzz get home, especially considering the length of time that had passed. “It may have happened anyway, but to my mind, Every Door Direct Mail made the difference, and that makes my wife and me very happy,” he said.
A SIMPLE, AFFORDABLE WAY TO HELP FIND LOST PETS
Mark and I also discussed the potential benefit of Every Door Direct Mail if a pet is lost while visiting or traveling with an owner in an unfamiliar area or another city or state or is lost locally and reported seen in another community (some dogs run for miles when confused or frightened.) The USPS EDDM plan could provide a way to contact residents in any area or any state with a photo of the lost animal, because the mailing can be targeted to any carrier route(s) in the U.S. where the pet was last seen or has been recently sighted.
Mark said that the entire cost of printing and distribution under the EDDM program for his mailing was about $97. But having Buzz home for the holidays is priceless!
(Phyllis M Daugherty is a contributor to CityWatchLA and a former LA City employee. She is currently employed by the U.S. Postal Service.) Prepped for CityWatch by Linda Abrams.
