What to do if you find a lost pet

So you’ve found a sweet dog or cat and you’re sure the owners are looking for it, but it has no tags. What do you do? Who do you turn to? Use these tips for a happy reunion! (Nothing feels better than reuniting a lost pet with his/her distraught owner!)

Take the pet to a local vet to be scanned for a microchip. Most veterinarians will do this for free. If the pet is chipped, you’ll easily be able to contact their owners. (Remember if your pet is chipped – keep the information up to date. If you have old contact information on file, it can be tricky to find you!)

Place postings on free sites such as Craigslist. Do not list the breed of the dog. Doing so might cause people who are just looking for a “free” dog or worse, dog fighting bait. This is a great posting: “Small dog found. Please conatct 215-XXX-XXXX with breed, description and color of collar. Found in the Bella Vista neighborhood.”

Hang similar postings in local vets, groomers, pet supply stores and grocery stores. While at the shops, especially the vets, ask if anyone has reported a missing pet of the description you found.

Contact your local shelter or Animal Control team. Most people will call the shelters to report a missing pet, assuming it would end up at a shelter. Offer a description, and leave your number in case someone does report a missing pet.

If you’re a Social Networker – use Twitter and Facebook to get the word out.  You’ll be surprised how many people can be reached with a few retweets!   Also search online for lost pet websites.

TIP: If possible, especially with cats, you’ll want to keep the pet quarantined if possible just in case the pet is not vaccinated.

So what if you’ve tried all of that and you still can’t find the owners?

If possible, foster the pet until you can find a suitable forever home.  Your temporary “foster care” could mean the difference between life and death for the lost pet.  Sadly, some shelters have a holding period of only 48 hours before homeless pets are euthanized due to lack of space.

Remember:  Be a pro-active pet owner. Microchips are great, but not all people know to have found pets scanned. ID tags are your pet’s quickest ticket home to safety. Tags need to be worn at all times, around the clock to be effective. (Many people mistakenly think tags only need to be worn when dogs are on walks. Many dogs become lost dogs when they dart out of on open door, tagless.)

Check out www.loveyourpets.com for tags under $5 – it could be the best investment you make for your best friend!