What to do when you lose — or find — a pet
Losing a pet can be a heart-wrenching experience. Accidents happen even to the most responsible pet owners. If your pet is micro-chipped and has ID tags, chances are your pet will be returned to you. There are many steps to take that will help ensure your pet makes it home safe and sound.
Finding a pet can also be very stressful. You could spend considerable time chasing an animal around only to catch it and find it has no tags. If you don't know who to call or what to do, you can hinder the chances of finding the pet's owners.
If you have lost your pet:
DO NOT panic. Your pet could still be close to home. Cats especially are known to wander off only to make their way back home once they get hungry.
DO post flyers around the neighborhood. If possible, offer a small reward to get people's attention.
DO check the Lost and found section on Craigslist as well as your local paper. Our local shelter, Animal Foundation, allows you to register a lost pet. Make sure to utilize every resource. Sharing your lost pet on social media is another good way to spread the word quickly.
DO NOT rely on phone calls alone. Make sure you go down in person to physically search each shelter's lost and found. Shelters are busy and they could be unaware of pets that recently came in. Make sure to call vets in the area too because people often drop off animals at the nearest vet.
If you have found a pet:
DO check to see if the pet has tags. Sometimes the phone number is printed directly on the collar so be sure to check for that. If no contact info is present, take the animal to the nearest vet to scan for a microchip. This is a free service and any vet is equipped to do a scan. Ask the vet to scan multiple times across the entire body.
DO check Craigslist lost and found or PetHarbor to see if there are any missing pets that match the description. The Animal Foundation website has a place to register a found pet as well. Put flyers around the area where you found the pet.
DO NOT post a photo with your found ad or flyer. You want the callers to describe the pet they lost and provide a photo to make sure you are giving the animal back to the rightful owners. People often claim animals that are not their own and do unspeakable things to them.
DO put the pet in a safe place like your bathroom until owners are located. If your pets are all up to date on vaccines you shouldn't be too worried about disease, but it's best to always separate the found pet. This prevents possible fights or added stress to all the animals. If you absolutely can not keep the animal temporarily, you must surrender the animal to a rescue or shelter.
DO NOT give the animal away to anyone for free or for any monetary gain. This is not your animal to give away. Furthermore, if you attempt to sell the animal you are in violation of the law. In Las Vegas you must obtain a breeder permit or commercial sales permit in order to sell an animal.
Kristen is owner of Little White Dog Co. A Pet Services Company specializing in pet sitting, animal massage and dog yoga. Email her at kristen@littlewhitedogco.com.
