Who You Should Call If You Find a Lost Pet

If you find a lost pet, it can be a little overwhelming and stressful figuring out what to do next. Don’t worry; there are steps you can take and people you can call to help you navigate the situation and increase the chances of reuniting the pet with its owner. In this blog, we’ll go over who you should call when you find a lost pet and provide some useful tips to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

1. Call Animal Shelters and Rescues

When you find a lost pet, one of the first steps should always be to call local animal shelters and rescue organizations in your area. If you’re unable to take the pet home yourself, these organizations will be equipped to take the pet from you and will have the resources to possibly reunite the pet with their family. If not, they can also potentially help the pet find a new home. If you decide to hold onto the pet while finding the owner, you simply can provide the shelter with a description of the animal and any identifying information you may have.

It’s possible that the pet’s owner already reported them missing to local shelters and rescues, in which case they can connect you with the owner. Otherwise, they will have the found pet on file and will be able to help out if anyone does come looking for them. It’s also worth noting that the workers there are likely pet lovers too, so they can provide you with additional tips and guidance for the pet while you search for the owner.

2. Contact Animal Control

Another resource for finding a lost pet is your local animal control agency. As with shelters and rescues, the owner may have already reported the pet missing to animal control. If not, they can create a file for the found pet. Animal control is an especially useful resource if you’re unable to capture the pet or you feel it is unsafe to do so. Animal control officers can come to the scene and safely secure the pet. This is especially important if the pet seems injured or aggressive. No matter what, you should always prioritize your safety when you find a pet. You also want to make sure no harm comes to the animal and the animal control officers will have the expertise and tools to properly handle the situation.

3. Check with Local Veterinary Clinics

If you take a found pet home, you should schedule an appointment with your local veterinary clinic as soon as possible. While you wait for your appointment, you can also call around to all local vets and have them check their lost and found databases for missing reports that match the pet’s description. When you bring the found pet in for an appointment, the vet can also scan them for a microchip and see if they have the contact information for the owner. Generally, bringing them to a vet is a good idea whether they are microchipped or not, as the vet can make sure the pet is in good health and hasn’t been injured in the time since it went missing.

4. Post on Online Platforms

Don’t underestimate the power of social media and online platforms for spreading local awareness about a found pet. Posting on lost and found social media groups and local neighborhood pages can potentially help you find the owner. Make sure your posts include a picture, a description and where the animal was found. 

Some apps and platforms are specifically built to help with lost and found pets. PawBoost is one of these platforms, with the largest online lost & found pet database available for you to post on for free. Additionally, posts made on PawBoost get pushed to social media, our mobile app, email lists and more. By effectively spreading the word about a found pet in your local area, you can greatly increase the chances of reuniting that pet with its family.

5. Connect with Your Neighbors and Community

After finding a lost pet, it can help to hit the pavement and connect with your local neighbors and community. Going door to door in the neighborhood where you found the pet and nearby neighborhoods can possibly help you find the owner. You can also make the local community aware of the found pet by posting flyers and posters in high-traffic areas like community centers, grocery stores, coffee shops, pet stores, vet clinics and more. Also, by spreading the word, you might get some community members engaged in the effort to help find the pet’s original family.

6. Your Local Police Department Can Help As Well

Finally, it can be helpful to get your local police department involved as well when you find a lost pet. They often have procedures in place for filing lost and found pet reports. Make sure to contact the non-emergency line for your local authorities and ask about filing a pet report. You’ll need to provide them with details such as the description of the pet, where it was found and your contact information in case the owner is found. By involving local police and taking all of the other steps we’ve outlined above, you can maximize your chances of finding the pet’s owner.

PawBoost Makes It Easy to Help Lost Pets

Don’t forget to use the free tools of the PawBoost platform when you need help finding a lost pet’s family. PawBoost makes it easy to make a detailed found pet listing that is then added to our online lost & found database. After making your listing, we will also push it to your local Facebook page in your area, our mobile app, our email list and more. Use PawBoost today to have the best chance of reuniting a lost pet with its family.