Lost
and Found
If
you have lost an animal:
1) Take
immediate action! While
an animal may come home on its own, the sooner you act, the
more likely you are to find your pet.
2) Do
a thorough search of your house and property and then of the
neighborhood. Call
your pet's name and alert your neighbors. For lost cats, be
certain to check roofs and trees and look again in the early
morning when the streets are quiet.
3) Make
up lost posters with a current photo of your pet and your
day and evening phone numbers. Provide
posters to your neighbors, the mail carrier garbage collectors,
meter readers, and the newspaper delivery person. Place the
poster in stores, gas stations and laundromats -- any place
where people living within a several mile radius are likely
to see it. Talk to neighborhood children and children at the
closest school - children always notice a new dog face running
around.
4) The
first day the animal is missing call the local
animal shelter or animal control agency and file a lost
report. Ask
the shelter how to contact the government agency that picks
up animals who have been killed on the streets and highways.
While it is difficult to face the possibility that your pet
may have been hit by a car, it is better to know the truth
than to worry for weeks about the welfare of your friend.
5) On
the second day, extend your search beyond the immediate neighborhood.
Send
copies of the poster to all area shelters and make a personal
visit to as many shelters as possible. People may describe
the same animal differently, so do not rely strictly on phone
contact. Ask the shelter staff to show you any sick or injured
animals, not just the ones available for adoption.
6) Call
all of the local veterinarians
and send them copies of your poster.
7) Advertise
in the newspaper for
several weeks and check the found ads every day. Be certain
to inquire regarding any possible matches, not just the likely
ones. You can also place lost/found ads on the local radio
and cable television stations.
8) If
you find your pet,
please inform the shelters and veterinarians and take down
your signs from the neighborhood.
If
you have found an animal
- Check
its tags and collar for a phone number or other identifying
information.
- Call
your local animal shelter or animal control agency and file
a found report.
- Bring
the animal to the local shelter. It is most likely to either
be reunited with its person, or to find a new home if you
bring it to the shelter.
- Immediately
place a found ad in the newspaper, both in the local newspaper
and in area-wide papers like the Washington Post. Most papers
provide found ads as a free service.
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