By BILL SHUMWAY

Almost every day in St. Lawrence County, someone’s beloved cat or dog goes missing.

When Fido or Kitty fail to come home, what is an owner to do?

Besides searching the neighborhood and calling out the pet’s name, people can visit NorthCountryNow.com.

Almost every day, a viewer posts a free, instant listing on our Lost and Found Page at NorthCountryNow.com/Lost-Found

On any time, about 30 listings appear.

Most listings are for pets – a Boxer puppy in DeKalb, a cat in Massena and a Beagle in Madrid were among the most recent postings last Friday.

But viewers search for or find many other things as well, including this month a ring of keys in Potsdam, a car key in Canton, a Droid cellphone between Massena and Potsdam, and a wallet in the Brasher area.

Several times a week, people who have posted items on our Lost and Found page e-mail us and happily report they have found their missing pet or item and ask us to remove their online listing.

Often, they thank us for providing the service, according to Diane Dockum of Norwood, who handles all of our classified ads, including the Lost and Found Page.

If you’re in the unfortunate position of losing or finding a pet or other valuable item, we hope you take advantage of our Lost and Found page. Just visit NorthCountryNow.com/Lost-Found

Your item will appear as soon as it is submitted.

Twice a day, we also post the latest Lost and Found items in the third column on our home page, below “Slide Shows” and “News Broadcasts.”

The free lost and found ads remain on our site for 30 days, unless we receive a request to remove them sooner.

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Over the years, a number of ads for important and unusual lost items have been placed on the Lost and Found page.

Ads sought the return of an engagement ring and a large sum of money.

One prankster submitted an ad saying they “lost my heart in St. Lawrence County.”

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If the weather “cooperates” and we receive a good amount of wet snow soon, Clarkson University students may recreate ice sculptures of the type that appeared each year in front of Potsdam fraternities through the 1980s.

Weather permitting, student sculptures will be judged from 5 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 30, on the grounds surrounding the Student Center and in front of the off-campus Greek houses.

But as of late last week, it appeared there might not be enough snow.

If that’s the case, here’s the next-best thing -- more than two dozen photos of ice sculptures from the past at northcountrynow.com/slideshow/ice-sculptures-past-clarksonsuny-potsdam-winter-carnivals

Look for Yogi Bear, Beatle Bailey, a dragon, a fortress, hockey players, and our favorite, the Flinstones.