Ace Ventura isn't the only pet detective on the beat. To the relief of frantic pet owners everywhere, it's now possible to get expert advice when Fido goes missing -- for a price. Up to 8 million pets wind up in shelters every year, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Not all of these animals are strays but of those that are only about 30 percent of dogs find their way home; 5 percent of cats are claimed by owners. This leaves a lot of room for error (and heartache). That's where the pros come in.

WHAT THEY DO
When a pet goes missing, these are the people to call. Pet detective services range from online booklets designed to help owners find a missing pet themselves to full-scale professional investigations including posters, neighborhood searches, shelter checks and sometimes trained K-9 units. There's also emotional support. John Keane, a 30-year veteran known as "Sherlock Bones," offers unlimited phone support among other services. For new clients, Karin Chockley Goin of Pet Investigators Inc., in Oklahoma, starts with a Q&A phone consultation ($75), which often leads to recovery on its own. Fees can vary, but an average full-day investigation will cost approximately $300. Most professionals keep looking until the pet is found or all reasonable steps have been taken to locate the pet; a written contract is commonly used to spell out expectations up front for both parties. Payment is often available via major credit cards or PayPal.

Many detective agencies, such as California-based Pet Hunters International, use K-9 units for their investigations. Like bomb detection dogs, they're used to sniff out clues and in some cases follow a trail (Pet Hunters charges $150 for two K-9 searches per day). But getting the dogs to this stage isn't easy. According to the PHI Web site, the training process for a trailing dog is a grueling, long one that can take up to 18 months before a dog is proficient and ready for certification. Pugs, Chihuahuas and St. Bernard's need not apply; with their physical limitations, they're not appropriate for this kind of work. "Dogs that love to play with other dogs are candidates for this discipline," Pet Hunters CEO and founder Kat Albrecht explains on her Web site. "Because training a dog in this type of work is extremely technical and time consuming, there will be fewer K-9s and thus a demand for these services. Those who elect to train a dog in this discipline should be prepared to field requests to travel."

HOW TO BECOME ONE
Professional pet detectives often have a background either in private investigation, police work, pet sitting, grooming, etc. -- often in some combination. Most importantly, a good pet detective will have a deep love for animals and the people who've lost them. It also helps to be an analytic thinker. Albrecht, a former police-detective-turned-pet-detective, uses the same investigative techniques and technologies to find pets that she used to find people. Like several top pet detectives around the country, her new career started when her own dog went missing. She used law enforcement-based techniques to track her bloodhound A.J. and in the process recovered another missing dog to boot. Hence the idea for a pet detective agency was born. Since 1997, Albrecht has successfully reunited over 1,700 missing pets with their owners and started a detective academy that trains and certifies pet detectives, as well as search dogs.

This kind of certification is offered on a limited basis. Albrecht's Pet Hunters International offers a four-day training course (currently available in Fresno, Calif.) for $700. Most graduates use their expertise as volunteers at shelters and animal rescue groups or pursue professional pet detective careers offering services such as "trap-and-reunite," neighborhood checks, flier distribution and more.

Can it be a real business? The numbers look positive. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association estimates that over 63 percent of U.S. households include a pet, which translates into 71 million homes. What's the most common pet in the United States? Dogs (followed by cats, freshwater fish and birds, in that order). That's a lot of kibble, and the potential for a lot of lost pets. Call it a case of bad news with the potential to turn good.