This resource was fully reviewed and updatedA member of The Open Sanctuary Project’s staff has given this resource a full review and provided updates where necessary. by a member of The Open Sanctuary Project’s staff as of July 24, 2026. It was originally published on July 14, 2020.

As caregivers, we go out of our way to provide living spaces that keep our residents comfortable and safe. So if you realize that one or more residents have left the safety of their living spaceThe indoor or outdoor area where an animal resident lives, eats, and rests., or if you can’t find them in their living space and are unsure if they are loose or somehow hidden, it’s certainly cause for alarm. While the goal is always to prevent residents from leaving their living space, it’s also important to plan for how you would respond if residents are loose or missing. Having written, actionable contingency plans in place and ensuring that sanctuary personnel are aware of these plans ahead of time can help ensure a quick and appropriate response. 

In this resource, we’ll look at two separate but sometimes related issues: what to do if a resident has left their living space, and what to do if you are unable to find a resident (but are not sure yet if they are somewhere in their living space or if they have left it).

Try To Maintain A Calm Attitude, But Take It Seriously
Whether you have confirmed a resident is loose or are unable to find a resident in their living space and are unsure where they may be, it’s important to take immediate action, but it’s just as important to try to stay calm and collected throughout the experience. Panicking can make it difficult to think clearly and could result in actions being taken that are counterproductive.

Responding To A Loose Resident

Consider Human Safety
Below we’ll talk about what to do if a resident is loose. However, in addition to the points below, you may need to take steps to ensure human safety, particularly if you welcome visitors. If a resident who exhibits confrontationalBehaviors such as chasing, cornering, biting, kicking, problematic mounting, or otherwise engaging in consistent behavior that may cause mental or physical discomfort or injury to another individual, or using these behaviors to block an individual's access to resources such as food, water, shade, shelter, or other residents. behaviors towards humans or who is easily startled and could hurt a human while in flight or fight mode is loose, you’ll need to take steps to ensure the humans at your sanctuary stay safe as well. This may entail asking that all visitors and less experienced personnel report to a specific location you have deemed to be safe until the resident is secured.

If you find that a resident has left their living space, you should have three primary focuses: safely return the individual to their living space, determine if anyone else from the group may be loose, and ascertain how they were able to leave their living space in the first place. Depending on the situation and how much help you have, these focuses may happen simultaneously or one at a time. If you cannot address these focuses simultaneously, you’ll want to think carefully about what order they should be completed, as each situation will be different. Up next, we’ll discuss each focus area, but please keep in mind that the order in which you tackle each focus area will depend on the specifics of the situation.

Return The Resident To Their Living Space

Can You Secure The Area?
If there are steps you can take to prevent the individual from leaving the immediate area or gaining access to spaces that carry higher risk, this should be one of your first steps. For example, if your sanctuary has a perimeter fence but the entrance is usually left open during the day, this should be closed immediately to prevent them from leaving the property. Similarly, consider if you can prevent access to areas that could put residents at increased risk (for example, closing off your food storage shed if you have a loose goat to prevent them from accessing grain).

Depending on your physical set-up, location, and other factors, such as the species of the resident and risk of predation, you may need to immediately return them to their living space, or you may have the benefit of being able to take your time. For example, if your sanctuary is fully contained with a perimeter fence you know the individual cannot get through or over, and if you know there are no major hazards they will be exposed to, you may be able to have someone keep an eye on the loose resident while you address the other focus areas or while you wait for them to go back home of their own accord. On the other hand, if you are near a busy road or a heavily wooded area where it would be easy to lose sight of the individual, or if the risk of predation is high, you’ll need to move more quickly to contain the individual.

The process of returning a resident to their living space will depend heavily on their species, but a universal theme is that chasing a loose resident is going to make things worse. Instead of chasing, which will only cause the individual to panic and flee, you want to opt for a calmer method. Some residents, particularly cowsWhile  "cows" can be defined to refer exclusively to female cattle, at The Open Sanctuary Project we refer to domesticated cattle of all ages and sexes as "cows.", sheep, goats, llamas, and alpacas, may be most easily moved back into their living space by calmly herding (or guiding) them back into their living space or into a small, contained space in which you can then approach them (from here, you could place a halter on them and walk them back to their living space or move them into a transport vehicle to drive them back home). Herding residents is often most easily accomplished if you have multiple people and understand the concepts of flight zone and point of balance (you can read more about this here – while the resource is about sheep and goats, specifically, you can apply this to other species as well). 

Residents who are comfortable being led, such as a horse resident who does well on a halter, may do best if you calmly approach them (or entice them to come to you) and slowly place a halter on them. Working with residents ahead of time and using positive reinforcement to get them comfortable with a halter and being led can go a long way in making for a smooth return to their living space.

Other residents may be most easily secured if you entice them to approach you or to go back to their living space on their own. Pigs, for example, may not be easy to herd (though pig sorting panels can be helpful to encourage pig residents to move in a particular direction). However, they are often very food-motivated, and this can be leveraged to encourage them to move to a specific place. Sometimes, just the sound of food shaking in their food dish may get them running toward you. Other times, you may need to offer enticing treats to lead them wherever you need them to go. Large breedDomesticated animal breeds that have been selectively bred by humans to grow as large as possible, as quickly as possible, to the detriment of their health. chickens and turkeysUnless explicitly mentioned, we are referring to domesticated turkey breeds, not wild turkeys, who may have unique needs not covered by this resource. may also do well being lured by food – just be careful not to overdo it.

For other avian residents who are less food motivated, you may be able to calmly guide them back into their living space if they haven’t ventured too far away. Other times, you may need to guide them into a corner or other confined space so that you can approach them and pick them up (from here, you can carry them home in your arms or place them in a carrier before moving them back home). We have a four-part series on catching avians which is worth reviewing if you care for these species, as it covers everything from catching flighted residents to water-dwelling residents. The following are just some of the tips in that resource. You can help guide an avian resident in the direction you want them to go by approaching them slowly while crouched down with arms extended out to either side. Rather than trying to guide them through a wide-open space, it’s helpful to use physical infrastructure such as fences or structure walls to make it easier to encourage them to go in a particular direction. Enlisting helpers can make the process easier. In rare instances, you may need to use a net or towel to catch a loose avian resident, and you can read more about this here, but when residents are loose on sanctuary grounds, other methods should typically be possible and should be considered before jumping to the use of a net. If your loose avian resident is a chicken and you can keep them in sight, you may wish to consider waiting until dusk, when they are likely to either return to their living space or find a nearby space to roost, which may make it easier to secure them. However, weigh this option against the risk of predation or of them wandering further.

Take Steps To Facilitate An Easy Return
In situations where you are encouraging the individual to go back to their living space, either by herding them or luring them with food, consider what you need to do to facilitate an easy return before you start moving them home. How will they re-enter the space? How will you ensure other residents don’t leave during this process? In most cases, you will want to have an open access point that the loose resident can move through freely. This may require temporarily preventing the other residents in the group from accessing this entry point. In general, it’s not going to work well to have someone stationed at a gate trying to prevent other residents from leaving while someone else tries to encourage the loose resident to go through it. Likely, the loose individual will turn around rather than move through a gate where someone is stationed, and you risk other residents getting loose.

Determine If Anyone Else In The Group Is Missing

Depending on how the individual left their living space, it could be possible that others have also left, in which case, you’ll want to take a moment to make sure everyone is accounted for. This is one of the many reasons why it’s important to keep updated records of who lives in each living space. Having a system where headcounts are posted in each living space helps ensure staff and volunteers always have this information when they need it. A whiteboard and dry-erase marker can be helpful for this purpose so that the count can be updated in real time as things change, but keeping this information in an online database is also wise. You may personally know each resident who is supposed to be in a certain living space, but there may be times when you need a new staff member or volunteer to step in to help, so having this information easily accessible is crucial. We also recommend having a system in place for folks who may not yet know everyone’s name to identify each resident. You can read more about this here.

When checking to see if anyone else in the living space is unaccounted for, be sure to stay calm so you can think clearly. The likelihood that other residents are loose will vary depending on how the first resident got out. In some cases you may want to work under the assumption that anyone who is unaccounted for upon initial check is loose until proven otherwise, but keep in mind that just because you don’t see everyone initially does not necessarily mean other residents are loose. Check out “Is It Possible They’re Fine, But You Just Aren’t Seeing Them?” below for more on this topic. 

Ascertain How They Were Able To Leave Their Living Space

When a resident leaves their living space, it’s important to determine how they were able to do so. This way, you can take steps to prevent the issue from happening again. There are a variety of ways a resident may escape from their living space, with the most common causes being the following:

Human Error

We all make mistakes, and caregivers usually have a long to-do list and a lot to keep track of at any given time. They also often have their hands full, which can make closing doors and gates behind them difficult. Accidentally failing to close or fully secure a door or gate can create the perfect escape route for residents. There may also be times when residents are eagerly anticipating the caregiver’s arrival and may crowd around the entrance, which could allow a resident to sneak out while the caregiverSomeone who provides daily care, specifically for animal residents at an animal sanctuary, shelter, or rescue. comes in. 

Maintenance Issues

Damage to the perimeter barriers of a living space could create a breach that allows residents to leave. A hole in the fence, fencing that has been crushed by residents or a fallen tree, or fencing that has been rolled up and away from the ground by residents (very common with pigs) may allow residents to go under, over, or through a barrier that is meant to keep them contained. Similarly, a broken gate or door latch could allow residents to push the gate or door open, even unintentionally. This is one of the main reasons why we recommend having multiple securement systems for all gates (such as a backup chain loop).

Housing Infrastructure That Is Not Sufficient

Unfortunately, infrastructure that works to keep most residents contained may not work for everyone, which can be particularly surprising if you’ve been doing this a long time and have never had issues in the past. For example, you may find that the fencing that has successfully contained every goat resident you have ever cared for is not tall enough to prevent a new goat resident from jumping over it. Or you may find that fencing that keeps your adult pig residents contained can not prevent a small piglet from squeezing under it. Some residents may even learn to open latches on their own! Sometimes you can anticipate these issues in advance, so we recommend always considering if any housing alterations are necessary before moving a new resident in, but even with this due diligence, some residents may simply surprise you with their abilities or creativity!

Physical Setup

Sometimes it’s not so much the fencing or walls that are the issue, but the fact that residents can utilize other elements of the living space to jump, climb, or fly over these barriers. For example, a goat resident may use a hay feeder as a launch pad to jump over a fence or wall (which can pose additional safety risk aside from their ability to get loose), or a chicken may use a nest box to get high enough to fly over a fence. Moving these elements and making sure to keep them away from walls or fencing can prevent the issue going forward.

How Weather Can Play A Role
In addition to the causes listed above, weather conditions can also play a role. For example, a recent deluge of rain could wash away earth under a fence, creating the perfect gap for someone to squeeze through; high winds could bring down tree branches that can crush fencing, potentially allowing residents to step right over it; and heavy snow could create elevated walking surfaces that make getting over a fence possible. After significant weather events, be sure to check housing infrastructure so you can catch potential issues before one of your residents does. And when it comes to snow, keep in mind that any snow mound you create from clearing paths could create a nice ramp for residents to climb up and over barriers. Be sure to consider the best placement of snow mounds and opt for multiple smaller mounds versus one larger mound to prevent possible issues.

In some situations, the way the individual(s) left the space may be obvious (for example, if someone saw the resident escape or if you find that the gate to their living space is open). However, if you’re not sure how they got out, it’s important to inspect housing infrastructure for breaches. If residents have access to a large area and you do not have time to check perimeter fencing right away, it’s best to move residents into a secure area until you can do so. This may be their indoor living space or a smaller outdoor living space that you can confirm has no breaches. Otherwise, you may soon find that you have more loose residents on your hands! When checking for breaches, be sure to check all gates and doors, as well as the integrity of perimeter barriers (i.e., fences or walls). Think about the capabilities of the resident who escaped when trying to figure out how they did it (in terms of how likely they are to get under, over, or potentially through barriers).

If a breach is identified, be sure to address these areas before allowing residents access to the space again. It may be necessary to come up with a temporary fix (such as securing a piece of plywood to cover a hole in a fence) and then create a plan for a more thorough repair as soon as possible. Also be sure to address any potential safety hazards associated with the breach that could lead to injury or foreign body ingestion (sharp pieces of wire, loose screws, etc.). 

Prevent The Issue From Happening Again

Once everyone is safely back in their living space and any potential maintenance or housing issues have been addressed (at least with temporary fixes), reflect on what happened (perhaps write up an incident report), and think about what can be done to prevent the issue from happening again in the future. Having a discussion as a team can be a helpful way to brainstorm possibilities. 

Loose Resident Hypothetical Situations

Now that we’ve explained what goes into responding to a loose resident, let’s look at some hypothetical examples to further illustrate the points described above and show how one might respond in a specific situation. 

These Are Hypothetical Situations!
Please keep in mind that these are purely hypothetical and that even if you face a similar situation, the response described below may not be the most appropriate course of action in your particular situation.

Hypothetical 1 – Wyatt Donkey

Wyatt donkey and his partner Lucy were recently moved into a pen in the sheep barn while their living space undergoes maintenance. Though some of the elements of the space are different from their old barn, the staff determines this is a suitable temporary space for them until they can return home. One day, Jamie caregiver goes to open the gate to their pen and sees that the gate is not actually latched. Thankfully, in addition to the two-way latch, each gate also has a chain and heavy-duty clip as a backup. Because of this chain, the gate was held closed despite not being latched. Jamie checks to make sure the two-way latch works, and after confirming that it does, she assumes someone just forgot to latch it. She finishes the tasks she needs to do and heads next door to the goat barn.

Soon after, a volunteer group comes to clean the sheep barn. Vanessa, an experienced volunteer, is tasked with cleaning the donkeys’ pen while the rest of the group cleans the sheep area. All of the residents are ushered out into their respective outdoor spaces to make it easier to remove all the bedding and replace it. When Vanessa is done putting the new bedding down in the donkeys’ pen, she opens the door to their outdoor space so Wyatt and Lucy can come in if they want. She has a few more tasks to do, but they are easy to do even if the donkeys are inside, and she wants to keep the time they are locked out to a minimum. When Vanessa was trained, she was taught to be very careful about latches and to always secure the additional chain when leaving the area. Because she was still working in the pen, she had not yet secured the chain, but she had made sure the gate leading to the main area of the barn was latched.

She cleans the autowater unit and brings the bowl outside to dump it in their yard. When she walks back into the pen, she sees that the gate leading to the sheep area is open, and Wyatt and Lucy are in the main part of the barn. Thankfully, the volunteers who were working in there sprang into action quickly and closed the gate that would have allowed the donkeys to leave the barn entirely. 

Jamie hears the commotion from the goat barn and runs over. She is grateful that the volunteers had the wherewithal to close the donkeys in the barn. Had they gotten out, they would have been loose on sanctuary grounds, making it much more difficult to get them back in the pen. Jamie knows that Wyatt and Lucy love oats, so she grabs some and is able to lure Wyatt and Lucy back into their pen. Vanessa fills her in on what happened, and Jamie thinks back to the gate latch being open when she first came in. A newer volunteer says it looked like Wyatt had been mouthing the latch before he got out, and Jamie realizes he must be able to open the latch! This had never been an issue before because in their old barn the gates have different latches.

Jamie calls the shelter manager down to fill her in and figure out what to do. They consider hanging up a sign telling people to always secure the chain loop, even if they are working in the pen, but because so many people come and go from the area, and because the sanctuary is near a busy road, they decide it’s too risky to leave Wyatt and Lucy where they are. Instead, they move the donkeys to an open barn typically reserved for quarantineThe policy or space in which an individual is separately housed away from others as a preventative measure to protect other residents from potentially contagious health conditions, such as in the case of new residents or residents who may have been exposed to certain diseases. of new rescues. This pen has the same latches as their old barn, making it a safer option for them until their barn is ready for them to return.

This hypothetical situation could have turned out much differently if the volunteers had not prevented the donkeys from leaving the sheep barn. The sanctuary also could have easily had a repeat situation if they had not decided to move the donkeys to a different pen with a latch that had been proven to be Wyatt-proof.

Hypothetical 2 – Fuego and Storm Chickens

Dana has a chicken microsanctuaryA microsanctuary is a small scale community of human and nonhuman (generally “unconventional or farmed”) animal companions, who live together in a chosen shared lifestyle and in commitment to ending the oppression of all beings. Microsanctuaries adhere to the notion that no nonhuman member of the community should “serve a purpose.” Microsanctuaries can exist in any context: rural, suburban, or urban. A microsanctuary can consist of as small a community as one animal and one human caregiver. For more information on microsanctuary please refer to the Microsanctuary Resource Center. and cares for a hen and rooster game bird pair who need encouragement going into their coop at night. Fuego rooster is well-flighted and wary of humans. Dana has found that the least stressful way to get Fuego and his partner Storm hen into their coop is to pick up Storm and carry her to the coop while ushering Fuego inside. One night, as Dana goes to pick up Storm, she notices that the door she had entered through was not closed and that Fuego had made a run for it and left his fully enclosed run. Dana is confused because she is usually very careful about securing the door when she comes and goes, but she doesn’t have much time to dwell on this because she sees that Fuego is headed toward the run of another rooster. Worried they will have an altercation through the fence and hurt themselves, Dana puts Storm down and rushes out of the coop to intervene and return Fuego to his run. As she exits the run, she makes sure to close the door behind her.

Thankfully, Dana is able to catch Fuego easily because he is so focused on the other rooster. However, when she turns around to walk him back to his run, she sees that the door to the run is again open and Storm is now loose. She quickly puts Fuego in his coop, securing him inside, and then calmly guides Storm back into the run. As she closes the door, she realizes that the latch is broken. Whereas pulling it shut behind her usually engages the latch, the door now bounces back open. She puts Storm in the predator-proof coop with Fuego, closes them in securely for the night, and makes a plan to fix the latch in the morning before letting them back out into the run. In the meantime, she uses a large rock to prop the door shut to ensure no other animals enter the run overnight.

In this hypothetical example, Dana assumed Fuego got out because of human error, when really there was a maintenance issue. Given the urgency of getting Fuego back inside before anyone got hurt, it makes sense that her first instinct was to set Storm down. However, taking an extra few seconds to secure her in the coop or to pay closer attention to the door before leaving Storm in the run could have prevented her from getting out. 

Hypothetical 3- MacGyver Goat

Sam is a caregiver at a large sanctuary that welcomes many human visitors. As Sam walks to the cowWhile  "cow" can be defined to refer exclusively to female cattle, at The Open Sanctuary Project we refer to domesticated cattle of all ages and sexes as "cows." barn to prepare supplemental food for some of the older cows, he notices that MacGyver goat is loose and is currently eating shrubs in front of the barn. Knowing that MacGyver has shown confrontational behaviors towards humans, Sam immediately puts out an alert on the walkie-talkie and asks that the visitor staff pause tours until MacGyver is secured. Sam also asks Becca, the other caregiver currently working, to secure the food storage area to avoid a situation where MacGyver can get access to grain, which would put him at risk of various health issues. 

Sam runs inside the goat barn to grab a halter and sees that the other five goats are all accounted for. All are inside, but he can see that they are making their way outside. Relieved that no one else has gotten out, he runs back over to MacGyver with a halter. Since he is so focused on the shrub he’s currently eating, Sam is able to restrain him and get the halter on him easily. When he turns to walk MacGyver back to the barn, he sees Ruth and Toby goats are now also loose, and behind them, he sees Reggie goat squeezing through a tear in the fence! Sam gets on the walkie-talkie to ask Becca to come help him, and she rushes over.

Instead of helping with MacGyver or the other loose goats, Becca focuses on preventing the last two goats from getting out. Thankfully, they are still close to the barn, so she is able to easily guide them back into the barn and close them inside. While Becca is working on closing the goats in, Sam walks MacGyver back to the barn and is able to return him to his living space. With half the goats now safely contained, Becca and Sam are able to focus on the three who are still loose. 

Ruth, Toby, and Reggie have started to walk down toward the cow barn and are near a gate leading to one of the other goat pastures. Becca and Sam agree that it would be easier to herd them through that gate and into the pasture rather than trying to walk them back down to the main entrance to the barn. They also worry it will be tricky to get them into the barn without the three who are currently locked in the barn getting out. They open the gate to the pasture and are able to calmly herd the three loose goats through the gate. They decide they will give the entire group access to this pasture since the other one is off limits until the fence can be repaired. They open the appropriate gate so the entire group has access to this pasture and the barn while the pasture with the broken fence remains closed off. 

In this hypothetical example, Sam decided to start by having the food storage area closed and making sure visitors were kept away. Given the specifics of the situation, this makes sense. However, if Sam had also taken a moment to secure the other residents before they left the barn, he would have had only had to deal with one loose goat rather than four. 

Responding To A Missing Resident

While a loose resident is obviously concerning, at least you know where they are and what you are dealing with. Entering your residents’ living space and being unable to find someone can be particularly alarming because there are so many unknowns. Did they leave their living space? If so, when and where are they now? Could they be in the living space still but trapped or injured, and that’s why you can’t find them? Depending on the situation, you may have a good idea of the most likely explanation for their absence, but other times you may truly be at a loss. It’s easy to panic in these situations, but it’s important to try your best to stay calm. 

Consider The Most Likely Explanation

First, it’s helpful to take a moment to consider what you know about the individual and if there is a likely explanation. Thinking about the natural behaviors of their species, their own personal preferences, their health history, and recent events may give you clues and help you determine what immediate steps you should take. For example, do they have a history of leaving their living space? If so, you may want to start searching sanctuary grounds. For avian residents, is it the time of year when they may be nesting? If so, you may want to search in their living space, focusing on areas that would be good nesting spots. Also consider recent events. Has one of their herd or flockmates recently found a way out of the living space? Did a recent storm come through that could have damaged fencing? Was anything going on in the living space recently that could have given them the opportunity to leave undetected (e.g., maintenance from a service provider, equipment moving in and out of the space, a tour, new personnel who may forget to latch gates, etc.)? Could recent weather conditions create dangerous terrain for residents to navigate (e.g., thick mud, ice, etc.), increasing the chance that they may be injured somewhere in their outdoor space?

A Missing Resident At Dusk
For avian residents and other residents who need to be closed securely into predator-proof spaces overnight, being missing at dusk is an urgent situation due to the significant risk of predation and the fact that it will only become more difficult to find them once the sun sets. We consider this an all-hands-on-deck situation. Call in all the help you can to search for the individual. Because time is of the essence in these situations, consider writing up specific protocols for how you want folks to respond in this scenario so they know exactly what they need to do and can spring into action.

When looking for a missing resident, where you start your search will depend on the specifics of your situation, if you have a good idea of why they are missing, and whether you have other folks who can help search multiple areas simultaneously. When responding to a missing resident, consider the following:

Is It Possible They’re Fine, But You Just Aren’t Seeing Them?

Unless you have cause to believe something more alarming may be going on, it’s often wise to start by taking a moment to look a bit more closely for them in their living space. Think about who they are and what behaviors they are likely to engage in. For example, when it’s cold out, pigs love to burrow under their bedding, and sometimes they can be quite hard to find, especially when cuddled up with someone else in a giant pile of straw. Female avian residents have nesting instincts, and sometimes multiple females will use the same nesting area, making it easy to miss someone. Or, a broodyTerm used to describe a hen demonstrating behavioral tendencies associated with sitting on, incubating, and protecting a clutch of eggs, but a hen can be broody even if her eggs are removed. resident may have turned a different nook in their living space into a nesting spot, making it hard to find them. Flighted residents may be perched up in the rafters or in another elevated space you’ll miss if you’re only searching at ground level. Thinking about the individual’s natural behaviors and capabilities can help you hone your search of their living space.

Searching for a resident in large outdoor spaces, especially those that have tall vegetation, hills, or wooded areas that could make it difficult to see someone from afar, can be tricky. Depending on the urgency of the situation, you may want to start by trying to encourage them to come to you rather than going out and trying to find them. Again, this will depend on the specifics of the situation. For example, if you are struggling to find a pig resident and you know they will come running if they hear food, you may want to rattle some food cans or shake some pellets in a bowl and see if they come running. For residents who have learned to come when you call their name or when you use a specific vocal cue (perhaps to call them over to a new pasture), you may want to try that and see if they appear.

Could They Be Trapped Somewhere In The Space?

Depending on the species of the individual and your setup, it may be possible for a resident who is missing to be trapped somewhere in the space. For example, a closed gate that should otherwise be open could lock them in a certain area, preventing them from rejoining their group. Or, perhaps they squeezed through a breach to access an area they are not currently supposed to have access to, but now are having difficulty finding their way back through. They may not necessarily be loose, but they also aren’t where they should be. Depending on the species and the type of fencing present, it could also be possible that they are stuck in their fencing, which could be an emergency situation. If the living space is not one that allows you to see the entire fenceline from afar, you may want to have someone walk the fenceline, checking for the resident as well as any breaches that could indicate they may have left their living space (more on this next).

With smaller residents, there can be even more possibilities. To offer some real-world examples, we’ve heard of missing chicken residents being found under a large overturned bowl, in between stacked cleaning buckets, and inside food bins. As a side note, while each of these instances ended happily, they could have ended very badly, so it’s important to take care when working around smaller residents and prevent these things from happening. That said, even with extreme care, it’s amazing the odd things that can happen sometimes, so when searching for smaller residents, in particular, be sure to look everywhere.

Think About High-Risk Areas
Depending on the specifics of your sanctuary and the living space, there may be certain areas you want to check immediately. Open water sources a resident could have fallen into or become trapped in are a good example. And it’s not just ponds that could be cause for concern – large tubs of water such as stock tanks could also pose a risk to certain residents and should be checked right away.

Could They Have Left Their Living Space?

If you can’t find a resident, it’s important to consider if they could have left their living space. Think about any recent events that could have made it possible for them to do so. For example, was a service provider recently in the space, and could this have created an opportunity for a resident to sneak out undetected? Was there a recent storm that could have spooked someone while simultaneously creating a breach in their fencing? Checking for breaches is a good start, but it’s important to consider if a resident could have left their living space in other ways (through an open gate that has since been shut, by jumping or climbing over fencing, etc.). Depending on the situation, you may want to call for backup and have a team of folks checking the property for the resident while you search their living space. If there’s a chance they have left their living space, consider taking the actions described above regarding loose residents, such as securing the area, closing off high-risk areas, and taking steps to ensure human safety, if necessary.

Could They Be Having A Health Emergency?

While it’s possible for any resident to have a health emergency, for some residents, this may be your first concern if you are unable to find them. For example, if your entire cow herd is in one area grazing, but an older, arthritic resident is missing, your first concern may be that they are stuck down somewhere. If the space is expansive or includes elements that prevent staff from having visual access to the entire space, it’s a good idea to call for assistance so multiple people can search at once. Tall grass, hills, and woods can make searching difficult, so you’ll want to be very thorough in your search to ensure no areas are missed.

If You Can’t Find Them
In the concerning event that you cannot locate a missing resident despite diligent efforts to find them, consider who you need to notify in your area, be it neighbors, the governmental organization tasked with loose animals in your region, or volunteers who may be willing to help continue the search. Be sure to plan ahead of time for who you would need to contact in this worst-case scenario and have their contact information in a place that is easy to access.

BiosecurityMerck Veterinary Manual defines biosecurity as ”the implementation of measures that reduce the risk of the introduction and spread of disease agents [pathogens].” Measures For Returned Residents
Ideally, a missing resident is found soon after being reported missing, but there may be rare instances where a resident is missing for days or even weeks at a time. In addition to celebrating their safe return, it’s important to perform a health checkThe Open Sanctuary Project uses the term "health check" to describe health evaluations performed by caregivers who are not licensed veterinarians. While regular health checks are an important part of animal care, they are not meant to be a replacement for a physical exam performed by a licensed veterinarian. to identify any issues they may have developed, such as wounds, and to check them for signs of external parasites. It’s also important to consider if any biosecurity measures are necessary to protect other residents from infectious diseases the individual may have been exposed to. For example, if an avian resident goes missing for a prolonged period of time and returns, you’ll want to consider the risk they could have been exposed to highly pathogenic avian influenza. Quarantining returned residents and having them evaluated by your veterinarian may be prudent. Additionally, if an unspayed female mammalian resident goes missing and comes back, you should consider if there’s a risk they have returned pregnant. This is particularly concerning if there are farmsFor-profit organizations focused on the production and sale of plant and/or animal products. with intact males in the area. In this case, you may want to follow the same protocols you would use for a new arrival who could be newly pregnant. If you find yourself in a situation where a missing resident returns, we recommend consulting with your veterinarian about how to proceed. They can consider the specifics of the situation to make the most appropriate recommendations.

Missing Resident Hypotheticals

To further illustrate the points above, let’s look at some hypothetical situations. 

Hypothetical 1- Fiera Turkey

Large breed turkeyUnless explicitly mentioned, we are referring to domesticated turkey breeds, not wild turkeys, who may have unique needs not covered by this resource. hens Calla, Domenica, Katya, and Fiera live together. Fiera is a bit younger than the others and is slightly more independent, so sometimes she is in a separate area of the run while the others dustbathe together. One day, their caregiver, Dani, comes in and finds Calla, Domenica, and Katya dustbathing together as usual. Dani does a quick scan of the space and doesn’t see Fiera in any of her normal dustbathing spots! While this is unusual, Dani takes a deep breath and thinks about the situation instead of jumping straight to panic mode. She reminds herself that the space is fully enclosed, complete with aviary netting across the top and a buried footer. While it’s not impossible that there could be a breach, it would have to be pretty large for Fiera to fit through, given her size. Dani determines that while it’s not impossible that she has gotten out, a more plausible explanation is that Fiera is somewhere in the space and Dani just needs to look a little bit harder.

She considers the fact that it’s spring, and that Fiera may be nesting somewhere out of view. She looks inside the coop and does not see her in the nesting nooks or in any corners, so she starts searching outside. The vegetation is tall and could easily conceal Fiera if she was hunkered down on a nest, so Dani begins methodically searching the outdoor space until she finds Fiera in a far corner of the yard, nesting as suspected.

Hypothetical 2- Parseltongue Pig

Fiona caregiver is checking on the pigs as part of her closing shift. It’s summer, and the pigs are out in their large pasture, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures after a hot afternoon. She does a quick visual check and realizes she sees everyone except Parseltongue, the youngest, smallest member of the pig herd. While it’s hard to see the pigs from afar if they are lying down in the pasture due to the tall vegetation, she’d be surprised if he were lying down right now when everyone else is busy rooting. Since it’s summer, the giant straw beds they provide in winter are absent, so it’s unlikely she somehow missed him in the barn when she walked through. 

She knows Parseltongue was accounted for just an hour or so before when she said hello to him over the fence as she walked to the caregiver office, and she doesn’t think anyone else would have been in the barn between then and now, so she thinks it’s unlikely someone accidentally let him out, though she can’t say for sure. She heads over to the area she last saw him and looks around more carefully. As she walks around the area, she realizes recent storms had washed away a substantial amount of earth under a section of fence. While none of the other pigs could have fit through this gap under the fence, she thinks Parseltongue could have and worries he has gotten out. The sanctuary is fully fenced, so while Fiona is worried that Parseltongue is loose, she thinks it’s highly unlikely that he has been able to leave the sanctuary entirely, so she’s not panicking yet.

Knowing that he usually comes when called and, like most pigs, is very fond of food, Fiona decides to head over to where the pig food is stored, rattles the cans, loudly scoops food into a couple of bowls, and walks around shaking the bowl while calling his name. Thankfully, after a few minutes of this, she sees Parseltongue come running. She is able to lure him into a front section of the pig barn that is used primarily for storage and closes him in here. All the food shaking has also gotten the rest of the herd running up to where they are normally fed, so she puts out some food to both appease and distract them while she lures Parseltongue from the storage area to the indoor living space. She also closes off the larger pasture to prevent Parseltongue from getting out again. There’s nothing she can do right now to address the breach, and she doesn’t want to risk him getting out again. In the morning, she can talk to the shelter manager about how to proceed.

Hypothetical 3- Barnaby Sheep

Allan Caregiver is doing midday treatments in the sheep barn and realizes that Barnaby is nowhere to be found. This is highly unusual since all the rest of the sheep are accounted for, and Barnaby is not one to venture far from the others. Barnaby is an older sheep with arthritis, so Allan thinks it’s highly unlikely he got out and is worried he may be having a medical emergency somewhere. Allan quickly heads out to check the large pasture space the sheep have access to, and as he walks up the alleyway to the pasture, he hears distant baa-ing. This is both reassuring and concerning. At least he can follow the baa-ing to find Barnaby, but Allan worries about what would cause Barnaby to be alone in the pasture seemingly calling for help. As he enters the first part of the pasture, he sees that the gate to the second part of the pasture, which should be open, is closed. There’s Barnaby on the other side calling for his friends! Allan runs up and opens the gate, and Barnaby immediately books it towards the barn as fast as his arthritic legs can handle. Allan stays behind to figure out how the gate could have closed in the first place. Usually it stays in place when opened all the way, but somehow it had closed. Realizing that simply propping it open may not be the safest thing, Allan gets a piece of chain and a latch to secure the gate open to prevent the issue from happening again. 

Reflect On The Event

Once the resident has hopefully been located (and, if necessary, returned to their living space), take time to reflect on the event. What can be done to prevent this situation from happening again in the future? For example, if a missing hen was found in a thoroughly concealed nest in the living space, like in our hypothetical about Fierra, communicating this to other caregivers so they know to check this spot before panicking can be quite helpful. If the issue was that a gate that should have been opened was closed, as in the hypothetical about Barnaby, taking steps to better secure the gate can prevent the issue going forward.

Also consider the actual search process. For example, if a resident was deemed to have left the living space or was having a health emergency in their living space and you suspect this went unnoticed for a significant period of time, consider new protocols you can put in place to more regularly check on residents to make sure everyone is accounted for throughout the day. 

If it seems like time was wasted starting the search because folks weren’t sure what they were supposed to do, creating written protocols and reviewing them regularly with your team can make a huge difference. Make sure everyone knows the answers to the following questions:

• Who should be contacted in the event of a missing resident? How much time should be spent searching before contacting them, if any? How can they be contacted?
• Who should be included in the search process? Who determines how many individuals should be involved?
• What are the exact steps that should be taken during this process? Are there different steps for different species or living spaces affected? Are there designated roles throughout the search process, such as specific individuals who are to check the perimeter, and others to inform neighbors, or will this be assigned during the search (if the latter, then who assigns the roles)?
• Is there any equipment or any supplies needed during the search process, and if so, where can they be found?
• Are there individuals or organizations outside of the sanctuary who should be notified? Where can their contact information be found?
• Will there be a team debriefing following the event?

Remember, policies and procedures should be written in a way that breaks down information into clear, concise steps with easy-to-follow instructions, and then they must be kept in known locations that can be quickly accessed! Consider using our contingency planning workbook to efficiently turn these steps into an actionable contingency planA formal or informal course of action planned for certain events, especially emergencies that a sanctuary might face..

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In an ideal world, your organization would never need to put the information in this resource into practice, but even with diligent care, things still happen. This is why it’s essential to be prepared to respond to concerning events such as loose or missing residents. By planning ahead, you’ll be ready to spring into action if you ever need to!

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