| Lost and Found Pets |
Report your Lost or Found Pet to usWe now have a database that will aid us in matching found and lost pets that are reported to us. Please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or contact the shelter with your information on your lost or a found pet. The following is an except and is Reprinted by permission of The Humane Society of the United States. Lost and Found: Tips for Recovering a Lost PetIf your pet disappears, stay calm, form a plan of action, and recruit as many people as you can to help with the search. Dogs will wander farther than cats, so if you’re searching for a dog, immediately organize a team to comb the neighborhood and drive the surrounding area, posting signs and asking people along the way if they’ve seen a pooch on the run. Your recruits also should call all animal control agencies, shelters, and rescue groups within a 60-mile radius. If you’re looking for a cat, focus your initial search on a five- to seven-house radius, where indoor cats who bolt are likely to remain, says pet detective Kat Albrecht. Ask neighbors if you can check their yards, the spaces under their homes, and outbuildings. Inspect nooks and crannieswhere a disoriented cat could hole up, and bring a tasty treat as an enticement. If your cat is too scared to come out, set baited humane traps with voice-activated baby monitors (to alert you when an animal is caught) in the areas you suspect she’s hiding. In some cases, an amplified listening device or “plumber’s camera” can help locate cats trapped or hiding under buildings. Remember that it can take a few days for cats to build up enough courage—or become hungry enough—to come out of hiding. If you’ve followed these initial steps and are still coming up empty, it’s time to take your search to the next level: Spread the wordMake lost pet signs that are big, bright, and brief. On fluorescent poster board, write “Reward” in huge letters at the top and “Lost Dog” (or cat) at the bottom. In the middle, tape a flier with a photo of your pet between two or three words of description. Post the signs in highly trafficked areas, and take the flier to every animal shelter and veterinary clinic in the area. Place ads in newspapers and announcements on radio stations. Check online at sites such as Fido Finder (fidofinder.com), Craig’s List (craigslist.org), and Dog Detective (dogdetective.com). Consider using a lost pet alert service like findtoto.org to contact homes in your area. Hire some helpIf you can afford to hire a pet detective, start looking for one quickly, since scent trails weaken over time. When hiring a detective, ask for references and steer clear of anyone who guarantees success. Also beware of pet-recovery scam artists, such as someone who claims to have found your pet and asks for money before returning the animal. Be persistentVisit animal shelters daily if possible; don’t rely on staff to notify you if your pet is brought in. Keep in mind that many shelters have limited space and may adopt out or euthanize animals after a holding period—usually anywhere from three to seven days. Be sure to also ask shelter staff if your pet could have been placed in a foster home or transferred to a rescue group or if there are other shelters you should be checking. Most of all, don’t lose hope—many reunions occur after months of separation. More on pet recoveryFor more details on pet recovery strategies, visit missingpetpartnership.org. Safe, Not SorryCats and dogs can easily slip through open doors, bolt in a panic, claw through window screens, and go over and under fences. That’s why it’s critical that you take these steps to safeguard your companions: Always have a collar and ID tag on your pet with your current phone number and address. Pet detective Landa Coldiron recommends that if your animal is shy or skittish, include on the tag, “I’m shy, not abused.” Her dogs’ collars also feature the word “Reward” in English and Spanish. “I don’t want there to be any doubt that my dogs have a loving owner who wants them back,” Coldiron says. Have your pet microchipped, and make sure you register the chip and keep your contact information up to date. (But never rely on the chip as a sole form of ID; your pet may not be lucky enough to end up at a facility with a scanner that can read it.) Keep recent photos and a detailed description of your pet on hand. Reprinted by permission of The Humane Society of the United States. New Article: Three Great Reasons To Microchip Your Pet Other websites for Lost and Found Pets
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