Lost and Found Tips 

On our lost and found page you will find useful information on what to do if you have lost or found a pet.

Lost Pets

Losing a pet is very stressful, but don't panic. You need to stay calm to help your pet find his way home. Here is a check list of what you can do when you realize your pet is missing.

• Create flyers with a picture (if available) and brief description of your pet. Post them at stores, vet offices, groomers, and anywhere else that will let you put one up. Make sure to include a phone number that is always available.
• Talk to your mail carrier, newspaper delivery person or anyone who is regularly in your neighbourhood.
• Go door-to-door to your neighbors with a flyer and ask if they have seen your pet. Some neighbours may be willing to help look.
• Put an ad in your local newspaper(s).
• Look for your pet in unusual places around your home, including outside storm drains and ditches.
• In many cases, pets don't go very far. It is not uncommon for a house cat, for example, to get scared and hide in the neighbor's bushes, too afraid to come out. So be sure to thoroughly search your immediate area before concentrating on areas farther away.
• If you have to go to work, or to sleep, you can leave out your pet's favorite food in a dish, luring him with the scent. If you prefer not to leave out food, since it may attract other animals, try leaving a T-shirt or blanket with your scent or your pet's scent. Animals have a much more sensitive sense of smell than humans and it is possible for them to smell it from a distance.
• Put a message on your answering machine/voice mail that says, "If you are calling about our lost pet, we are out looking for him/at work/sleeping (or whatever the case may be). Please call us on our cell phone at 555-555-5555."
• If you believe your pet was stolen, contact the police to file a police report.
• Contact the veterinarians in your area. Let them know your dog is missing, and if he or she is turned in to their office and needs care, you will pay whatever amount (or up to a certain amount) to take whatever measures are needed to save his or her life. Give them your phone numbers in case they need to call you to confirm identity in order to start treatment.
• You can visit the PetLynx website, an online database of lost and found pets, where you can enter a description, microchip number or tag numbers of your pet to see if anyone has posted them as a found pet or enter them into the database yourself as a lost pet.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, continue to visit your local shelters every day. Don't rely on the kennel attendant's description of an animal; what is brown to one person can be red to another, or tan to yet another. Check the shelters for yourself on a daily basis!

Found Pets

• Safety first; a strange, frightened and possibly sick or injured animal can behave unpredictably. A sudden move on your part, even opening your car door, can spook the pet and cause them to bolt?possibly right into traffic. If the animal looks or acts threatening, or, if for any reason, you feel uneasy about the situation, do not approach.
• Use caution when approaching the animal. Should you succeed in getting close enough to capture him, you could stand a chance of being scratched or bitten. Be careful and constantly watch for changes in boyd language that indicate the animal may be becoming aggressive. Again, do NOT approach if you have any concerns for your safety
• When approaching the animal, speak calmly to reassure him. Make sure he can see you at all times as you approach, and perhaps entice him to come to you by offering a strong-smelling food such as canned tuna or dried liver.
• If possible, restrain the animal. Create a barrier or use a carrier, leash, piece of cloth or length of rope to keep the animal from leaving the area.
• If you're not able to safely restrain the animal, call the local police or animal control agency. Do so whether or not the animal is injured, and whether or not he is wearing an identification tag. Call the local animal care and control agency (in rural areas, call the police) and report the situation. Leave your phone number with the dispatcher and try to get an estimate of how long it may take someone to respond. If possible, stay on the scene to keep an eye on the dog or cat until help arrives. Make sure you report to authorities precisely where the animal is by using road names, or landmarks.
• If you are able to transport the animal, take him to the nearest animal shelter. If you plan to keep the animal in the event no owner is found, you must still bring the animal to the shelter or a veterinary clinic in order to have them scanned for a microchip identification.
• If you are willing to foster the animal until the owner is found, you can usually place a free "found" ad in your local newspaper. Keep a copy of the ad to prove your good intentions should any question arise later.
• The PetLynx website, an online database of lost and found pets, is where you can also post the animal as a found pet.