Identification details: make him unmistakable
Start with the dog himself, written down as precisely as you can while the details are fresh. Record his breed or type, size and build, coat colour and its exact pattern — which side a patch sits on, where white markings fall, whether an ear is folded or upright. Note his sex, whether he is neutered, and his age, plus anything distinctive: a scar, a missing tooth, a crooked tail, a greying muzzle, a particular way his coat grows. Generic descriptions fit hundreds of dogs; the small asymmetries are what separate yours from every similar dog a shelter or vet might see.
Photographs carry more weight than any description, so gather your clearest recent ones: a face view, both side profiles, one standing shot showing his full shape, and close-ups of any distinctive marking. If you have video of him walking or playing, keep that too — gait and mannerisms help confirm identity in a way still photographs cannot. Note his collar, harness, and tag details exactly as he was wearing them, while remembering a collar can be removed, which is why the permanent identifiers matter most.
Permanent proof he is yours
Write down his microchip number if you know it, and contact the chip database immediately to flag him as stolen and confirm your contact details on the record are current — a chip reunites dogs only if the phone number behind it still reaches you. Gather his ownership evidence in one place: veterinary records, registration or adoption paperwork, insurance documents, and dated photographs of him in your home over time. If a found dog's ownership is ever questioned, a continuous, documented history is what settles it quickly and calmly.
The event itself: record it like a timeline
Then document the theft as an event. Where was he taken from — a garden, a car, outside a shop, on a walk — and at what time, as closely as you can fix it? How was he taken, and what do you actually know versus suspect? Record any people involved as descriptions, any vehicle as make, colour, and partial registration if you caught it, and the direction taken. Name any witnesses and ask for their contact details while they are still present or reachable, including neighbours whose doorbell cameras or dash cameras may have covered the street. Write this down the same day; times blur and details swap order in memory within days.
Ask nearby homes and businesses promptly about camera footage, because many systems overwrite recordings quickly — a request made this week can be answered, while the same request next month may find the footage gone.
Who to tell, and keeping your record usable
Report the theft to the police and keep the reference you are given. Notify the microchip database, your veterinarian, other local practices, shelters and rescue centres, and the local dog warden or animal control service, sending each the same concise description and photograph set rather than rewriting it under stress. Post alerts with a clear photograph and the area he was taken from, but keep the distinctive-marking details back from public posts: holding one identifying feature private lets you test anyone who claims to have found — or tries to sell — your dog. Log every sighting and call with times, so patterns in the reports are visible rather than lost in a stressful week.
All of this is easier and faster if the identity half already exists before anything happens, and KinsLe's Pet Pass is designed for that: it is your dog's verified ID card, holding his identity and your owner contact details in one place that is easy to show to police, vets, and shelters the moment you need to prove who he is.