Dogged persistence helps pet detectives locate missing animals

Tough case

At first, he thought finding M Bean would be a straightforward task, considering the abundance of surveillance cameras around Li's neighborhood. To make an initial assessment of where the lost animal might have ventured, Zhao first inquired about the dog's personality, notable physical features and whether she had been neutered.

For instance, at a crossroads, a bold dog would likely cross the street, while a timid one might turn a corner. A friendly dog is far more likely to be taken in by a stranger, whereas a less sociable one would be more likely to roam the streets.

Communication with pet owners is not always smooth. Overwhelmed by the loss of their friend, some weep as they explain how important the animal is to them, and they are unable to answer the questions posed by the pet detective.

Some highly distraught people may even provide incorrect or misleading information.

On the back of Zhao's right hand, there are two raised scars running from his wrist to his fingers. They are reminders of the time he trusted an owner who said their cat had a gentle temperament and attempted to capture it without wearing gloves. In another incident, Zhao spent two days searching for a dog with pink ears based on the photo provided by the owner. Later, he discovered that the photo was inaccurate because the owner had actually dyed the animal's ears several months before so the pink color had mostly faded away.

Before setting out to search in earnest, Zhao made it a priority to determine whether M Bean was really lost, because he has encountered numerous situations where the pet hadn't even left the house, had been secretly given away or abandoned by family members.

He was once engaged to find a flight attendant's missing cat, only to discover that the animal had been secretly discarded by the woman's mother. Despite being confronted, the senior remained tight-lipped about the cat's whereabouts, leading to a heated altercation between mother and daughter.

To crack the case, Zhao shifted his focus from studying feline behavior to understanding human psychology. He discovered that the older woman had a habit of taking leisurely walks in a nearby park. Zhao searched the area but found no trace of the cat.

He found himself at a loss, but during a cigarette break he instinctively looked up and saw the cat sitting above him — she had been perched on a tree branch for nearly 28 hours without coming down.