Inspector Spot is New Zealand's fist pet locating company.
It's every pet owner's worst fear; the disappearance of their beloved fur baby.
For Auckland woman Erin O'Sullivan, it's been a nightmare she's lived through for more than a year, since her 11-year-old baby Marlo went missing.
Marlo came into Erin's life following the death of her brother and now means the world to her. She remains determined to find her pet and has enlisted the help of New Zealand's very own certified pet detective, Megan Denize.
We visited Megan, AKA Inspector Spot, to follow her as she hunts for leads in Marlo's "cold case".
As we walk through the door of Megan's "Urban Farmyard", we are greeted by three schnauzers - one appropriately named Sherlock - and an array of cats all standing guard over their favourite spots.
And when we sit down to chat, Megan's Maine Coon cat makes itself at home on my shoulder as one of her dogs, Otto stands close by, watching the camera equipment and ensuring it's kept well slobbered on at all times.
Megan's love of animals is immediately apparent and she soon has me thinking she may just have the best job ever.
But there isn't time for cuddly distractions: Megan is in the middle of an important case.
Marlo went missing on the evening on June 26. Photo / Supplied
Eleven-year-old Marlo is a diabetic, thunder-phobic pooch who, due to the length of time he has been missing for, is considered a unique case.
It was during one particularly bad storm on the evening on June 26, 2016 Marlo managed to scale a high fence and escape his home, leaving his family heartbroken.
Marlo's mum, Erin, says she grew up, moved cities, and changed careers all with Marlo by her side. She says she was devastated when she lost her "eccentric little man".
"I feel I have done everything to find my man, I don't know what else to do. Most people think I should give up," she shared.
But after Erin heard about a woman with a very particular set of skills, she knew her search wasn't over yet.
ENTER INSPECTOR SPOT
Erin reached out to Megan after hearing about her services through the grapevine. She decided if anybody was equipped to find her pup, it was Inspector Spot.
During our visit with Megan, she explained how she was currently using her extensive network in order to try and get the word out about Marlo.
She's also tapping into technology resources, such as pet facial recognition software in order to search the net for matches to Marlo's photograph.
As advanced as that sounds, Megan employs the classic method of posters around the streets. But, she says, there are some key elements to making effective posters that people often miss. Namely, that they are clear, concise and most importantly, able to be seen by people driving past them.
"Most people create posters that are small white A4 pages, when what we really need is something that is really big, that really stands out, which catches people's eye, particularly when they are driving past."
Megan is also calling for some fresh leads in the investigation and hopes that, if nothing else, she may be able to give Erin some closure on what happened to her "best friend".
HOW MEGAN BECAME INSPECTOR SPOT
Megan trained and became certified in the United States. Photo / Amanda Billing
As our chat went on with Megan it was clear that this was the job she was born to do.
Megan founded her agency after fostering hundreds of animals and finding out that one in three pets will go missing in their lifetime.
She also questioned why hundreds of animals were coming through the doors of her home, but weren't returning home to their loved ones.
Megan boasts all of the credentials you would hope for in a pet detective, with a decade's experience in animal psychology, training, rescue and rehabilitation.
She first began locating pets in the United States, using US police agencies' missing person techniques and has now brought her skills home to New Zealand in the hopes of reuniting pets and owners, such as Erin and Marlo.
A confident Megan states: "What we need with Marlo's case is fresh leads, and if we can't find him safe and well, what we would like to do is help his mum understand what has happened to him."
HOW TO KEEP YOUR PETS SAFE
Holly the exotic short hair was there to greet us. Photo / Amanda Billing
So what can Kiwis do to lower the chances of their beloved animals going missing?
Megan believes the best thing we can do is take measures to ensure they don't become "lost" in the first place.
"The first rule is if you're not labelled, you don't go outside. I recommend that all pets are wearing a collar that has their name on it and contact details. I would also back that up with a microchip just in case his collar gets lost."
Megan also stated the importance of acting fast to make sure pets don't get too far away from home.
