Lost & Found Pets
This Page will give you an abundance of information to help reunite a lost pet with their owner. We hope you are reunited safely and quickly and we will help any way we can!
WHAT TO DO IF YOUR DOG IS LOST
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Walk the neighborhood: Take a walk around the immediate area and speak to any neighbors, postal service workers, landscapers, or anyone who may have seen your lost pet. You know your pet best, so look in areas that your pet may have been interested in or comfortable hiding in. Most pets are found close to home. If you can, leave your gate or door open as many pets will return home on their own.
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You should post on social media groups (lost animal pages, community pages, next door, ring). Most important information, LOCATION LISTED, A CLEAR PICTURE AND A CONTACT NUMBER. When you post on those pages, you only need ONE post and then you update that post. Check the local pages as well to see if someone has already found your dog. Check lost.petcolove.org! LINKS BELOW FOR BOTH!
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If your dog is lost close to home or where you will be for a length of time, putting clothes or food out is great advice. If an animal is running down a highway or on a dangerous road then you probably would not want to start a feed station or put clothes out until the animal is in safe area.
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Learn what "chasing" means. Chasing an animal does not necessarily mean literal chasing. You are driving behind, walking behind or following a dog around, you are "chasing" the dog. You simply cannot speed around after a roaming dog and always expect to capture it. The dog will run further and faster the harder you speed after it. This can be harmful to the animal as they could run out in traffic and be hurt or killed. Here is a great link explaining what to do: https://www.luzernecountypetrecoveryservices.com/stop-chasing-lost-stray-dogs/
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Flyers are the MOST IMPORTANT part of a rescue. This should be done in the first 24 hours if possible. The longer you wait, the longer your pet could be being seen by someone and you could be missing that one possible lead to get your pet back safely. Flyers are how you are making the community aware that your pet is missing. Not everyone is on FB or social media. Some people do not live in the area and are just driving through. Having BASIC FLYERS (LOST-PIC-NUMBER) on poles and in businesses will alert people that a pet is missing in that area. If the pet moves or you get no sightings then you expand flyers. Try to stay ahead of the animal as they move about.
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Make sure you notify all police, animal controls and shelters in your area plus adjoining area. Human intervention can play a huge part in rescue. If an animal is picked up, with the lack of resources available for "strays", it could end up anywhere. This is a list of stray hold facilities in PA but please note not all lost dogs will be turned over to a stray hold facility. https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/Animals/DogLaw/Documents/Shelter%20List%2003.15.19.pdf
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Make sure if your pet is chipped that you notify the chip company. Make sure your information is up to date and report the pet lost.
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Make sure when you get your pet back to backtrack and notify everyone you contacted that animal was found. Make sure any flyers you put up, you take down. Not taking down flyers can effect the next pet missing in your area if local places create ordinances against flyers because they were not taken down.
WHAT TO DO IF YOU FOUND A DOG
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Take a photo of the dog immediately and note the location you spotted them. This will help those looking for the dog know where to go.
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Keep a slip lead or leash in your vehicle to safely catch a loose dog. If the dog is friendly and approached you put slip lead or anything you can use as a leash to safely contain the dog. You can lead to your yard and close the dog safely in your yard if nearby. IF the dog is NOT friendly or ran away
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Walk the neighborhood: Take a walk around the immediate area and speak to any neighbors, postal service workers, landscapers, or anyone who may have seen the pet before or know the owners. Most pets are found close to home.
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You should post on social media groups (lost animal pages, community pages, next door, ring). Most important information, LOCATION LISTED, A CLEAR PICTURE AND A CONTACT NUMBER. Check lost.petcolove.org! LINKS BELOW FOR BOTH!
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When you find an animal, there is a lot of confusion as to if you HAVE to turn it over to a stray hold facility and trying to find one to take an animal-lets be honest-is not easy since there are minimal to ZERO places to do so. You dont HAVE to turn an animal over BUT you MUST do everything you can to find an owner. Contact police, animal controls, shelters, vet offices, do a post, put up flyers etc. Make sure you have persons names, dates and times you reported the pet lost to. When reporting to shelters, do it by email with pictures and contact information so you have a record. If you rehome or keep an animal without first trying to find an owner, you could get in trouble.
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If you cannot hold animal and you are getting no where with finding a stray hold facility to hold, reach out for someone trustworthy to hold onto the animal-a neighbor, family member, rescues etc. PLEASE do not just leave it out there or put it back where you found it-even if you are advised to do so by authorities (yes this has happened before)
