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The cat was found on the cement median near the Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub on busy Route 1 on the North Attleboro-South Attleboro line.

Still alive despite all of the traffic in the area, the creature was taken to the North Attleboro Animal Shelter where a scan of its microchip revealed a Walpole phone number, Animal Control Officer Karen Fontneau said. The shelter reunited the cat with its family, who figured it must have stealthily hopped into a neighbor's car and taken a trip to the Christmas Tree Shop on Route 1. From there, it lit out on its own until its median strip rescue.

Last fall, people dropped off a dog at the shelter that they had found on a highway. Shelter workers sent an e-mail to "everyone we knew" and posted a photo of "the highway dog" on the shelter's Web site and petfinder.com, Fontneau said. "A woman from Grafton saw it on PetFinder and recognized it as her neighbor's dog," she said.

More recently, an Attleboro cat that left home after the arrival of new dogs came back with three legs instead of four, then left again. It turns out a woman who lived a few streets away had adopted it and paid for surgery to remove a leg tumor. The cat, Bevis, written up in The Sun Chronicle, eventually settled with her new owner, and is now known as Chloe.

The three stories illustrate how the problem of lost pets can make for some interesting stories, but pet advocates say it helps to be prepared for such instances, and urge owners to take steps now to avoid potential heartache down the road. They also provide some suggestions on how to go about finding your pet if it goes missing. Implanting microchips on your pet is a good idea, particularly for cats because many people don't like to put collars and tags on them, Fontneau said. Many shelters, including North Attleboro's, now implant microchips on animals available for adoption.

Photographing your pet in three or four different poses is also recommended. That way, should your pet become lost there will be pictures for fliers and postings.

"I'd rather have pictures than just a description," said Fontneau. "It's a huge help." One time, she noted, a woman looking for her dog stopped by and described it. But Fontneau couldn't tell from her description that it was the same exact dog she had at the shelter. She took the woman to look on the off chance it was her dog. It was.

Ads in newspapers are a good way to track down a missing pet because sometimes people don't call shelters right away.

Calling the shelter in your community is one of the first things owners of missing pets should do in case the animal has been brought in or someone has reported finding a cat or dog, Attleboro Assistant Animal Control Officer Kathy Pereira said.

Also call shelters in surrounding communities. Check in every few days. Some shelters have only a limited number of days that they will hold or house animals. Make sure you check the shelter's policy. Personal visits are best.

Leave fliers with a picture of the pet at shelters and veterinarians' offices with a description of the animal that states whether it's a male or female and has a microchip or tags. Fliers can also be posted on public bulletin boards in markets and elsewhere. They should also be given to people while making the rounds of the neighborhoods. Remember to include a contact number that connects to a voice-mail with a message about your lost pet, and also include an e-mail address.

Withhold some of your pet's identifying features to prevent getting scammed. A reward may be offered, but make sure you go with someone else if meeting a contact, and make sure you have your pet in possession before paying a reward.

While it sounds morbid, pet owners might want to check in with public works or animal control offices to see if any dogs or cats have been killed on local roads.

Internet sites have become an increasingly common means of finding lost pets. Petfinder.com is one of the more common sites used by local animal shelters. Other sites include dogdetective.com, which describes itself as a worldwide network of members including registered animal control departments, humane societies and rescue organizations, and pets911.com, said Fontneau. Check Internet and newspaper ads for dogs for sale, as they may have been stolen, or pets that have been found. Owners of missing purebreds can also turn to organizations that specialize in those breeds.

Sometimes, however, not even an all out effort can bring those family members back home.

Mansfield resident Harvey Novack remains broken-hearted over the disappearance of his two 3-year-old male Shih-Tzus who ran off after a walk almost two months ago. He has bought newspaper ads, posted fliers, staked out streets where sightings have been reported, and is offering an $800 reward for each dog. His son in Texas is helping by searching the Internet. There was also an article in The Sun Chronicle Feb. 23 which, along with the ad he continues to run in the paper, has generated many calls but not the return of his dogs.

Novack has had many interesting suggestions, he said, including contacting mail carriers in the area to see if they have seen any traces of his purebred dogs.

"It's been quite an ordeal to keep up with it," said Novack, who has fliers posted across the state in shelters, veterinarians offices and animal hospitals.

"I get periods of discouragement, but then I get revived," he said. "We're not leaving any stone unturned.

"I'm not giving up hope - anything's possible out there. I really miss these guys. I come home and they're not there. There's a void in my life."

SUSAN LaHOUD can be reached at 508-236-0398 or at slahoud@thesunchronicle.com.