We are part of this service. They send out the calls contact shelters and prepare flyers so all we have to do is print them out. The difference between the calls and using the listserv or something similar is we don't waste time posting when we could be out looking. We would put up posters also, but the calls go out very quickly.

Here's an idea....Exit house, walk down block, knock on neighbor's door "Hi neighbor, I received a strange robocall alerting me that Mergatroid was missing. Is he really missing, or was it a scam?"

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sounds kind of invasive... to pull together the phone numbers of people who didn't agree to be contacted and to actually confront them in their own homes for a non-emergency. If this could help with missing *person* searches, I'm all for it. But I think it's not appropriate to presume to disturb neighbors one may or may not know for the sake of a non-human "loss".

Seriously, some people will find a way to get bent out of shape about ANYTHING. Must be an exhausting way to live.

Seriously.

Anonymous wrote:It sounds kind of invasive... to pull together the phone numbers of people who didn't agree to be contacted and to actually confront them in their own homes for a non-emergency. If this could help with missing *person* searches, I'm all for it. But I think it's not appropriate to presume to disturb neighbors one may or may not know for the sake of a non-human "loss".

Seriously, some people will find a way to get bent out of shape about ANYTHING. Must be an exhausting way to live.

Bizarre because it's never happened before and I've never received a robocall except from telemarketers and political campaigns (and the pharmacy I guess), nor have I ever heard of such a thing, and as pp says it's pretty invasive and made me wonder how they put together a list of people who live near the person who lost the dog. I might well opt in for that kind of notice, but I find it strange that someone would decide to use such a service.

Confusing because I wasn't sure whether it was legit. There was a "press one to be removed from our list," so I wondered whether it was really just a clever telemarketing ploy to get lists of good numbers since people are getting wise that pressing "1" for a sales call just results in more calls.

By the way I do pay attention to lost dog notices. The nice thing about them is that I can keep an eye out for the dog and go back to the notice for the phone number if I ever were to find it. I have actually returned dogs in my neighborhood when they have come sniffing around. But since I hadn't seen the dog and was so perplexed I didn't write down the phone number or website. Even if I did I'm unlikely to keep it around for more than a day or so. I'd have no idea what to do if I did see the dog (a min-pin maybe?) I think neighborhood listservs or even DCUM is a better way to get the word out if you're missing a pet.

I think OP is just feeling annoyed by the phone call. She should simmer down. It was just a phone call.

It is as though they used a battering ram on your bedroom door, jumped on you and straddled your chest and yelled with their hot breath in your face.

Get a grip. How often could this happen in any few blocks. Phone numbers by block listings have been around for decades.

actually confront them in their own homes

It's a bit dramatic to refer to a robocall this way, don't you think?

It sounds kind of invasive... to pull together the phone numbers of people who didn't agree to be contacted and to actually confront them in their own homes for a non-emergency. If this could help with missing *person* searches, I'm all for it. But I think it's not appropriate to presume to disturb neighbors one may or may not know for the sake of a non-human "loss".

Yes, it is a service you can buy if you lose your dog. What is so confusing and bizarre about it? Probably more effective than putting up posters nobody can read on lamp posts.

I got a robocall last night saying that my neighbor "Robert" had lost his dog. It described the dog and gave a phone number and a website. Has anyone ever had this happen? I found it totally bizarre and confusing.