They put up 600 lost dog posters over four days and spent 60 hours pounding the pavement.

In fact, the Petersens were so determined to find their beloved Ralphie — they were mistaken for burglars.

"We spent so much time on the streets that we had the cops called on us for prowling," said Evan Peterson.

His wife, Nicole, even took three days off work to look for her nine-kilo "furbaby."

Though the Calgary couple were persistent, they say posting a photo of Ralphie on YYC Pet Recovery helped them track the little dog's adventures from Bankview to the Currie Barracks construction site.

The Facebook page helps owners reconnect their lost pets through tips.

Janice ter Borg, a volunteer administrator for YYC Pet Recovery, says it's as simple as Facebook page members spreading the word through social media, amplifying the information to thousands of people.

17,000 followers

Though she's not sure how many people have been reunited with their pets through the Facebook page, ter Borg says, "We get so much feedback from people who have ... found pets, lost pets."

YYC Pet Recovery had about 1,200 followers before the 2013 Alberta flood.

"It just blew up from there," says ter Borg. Today, the page has over 17,000 followers and reaches anywhere form 28,000 to 60,000 people a week.

Cats and dogs are typically the types of animals that go missing, but there have also been plenty of reunions with turtles, bunnies, ferrets, parrots and doves.

More tips

Ter Borg says even though it's illegal to let your cat roam freely in Calgary, it's becoming a big problem in the city.

She says, sadly, lost kitties are often not found because people just assume they're outdoors cats.

If you're not on Facebook, you can still take steps to find your pet.

Be sure to report your lost pet to Calgary Animal Bylaw Services and with the Calgary Humane Society, where you should also show up in person regularly to see if your pet has been brought in.

You can also call vets in your area, as well as post on Kijiji and hang posters.