⭐ LOST PET — CRITICAL INFORMATION FOR OWNERS
When a pet goes missing, especially in Colorado Springs, there are two urgent steps: go to the shelter in person and lock down the microchip. Here’s what people need to know.
LOST Pets at the Pound (HSPPR)
Please do not rely on the website — HSPPR has a long, documented history of pets being in the building but never appearing online. This is how families lose their animals there.
Here’s what actually happens:
• Pets on stray hold often never get photographed or uploaded. They sit in the back for days and never appear online.
• Scared, stressed, or shut down pets are moved to the back and hidden. HSPPR labels them “behavioral,” and those pets are never posted online.
• Pets who fail the behavior test are kept out of public view. Many are simply frightened or overwhelmed. They are not listed, and families have lost pets this way.
• Mislabeling is extremely common. Wrong breed, wrong , wrong color — and if your pet is mislabeled, you will never find them by searching the website.
• Injured or sick pets are kept in medical and not listed. You won’t see them online, and staff will not tell you over the phone.
This is why you MUST go in person. Walk the stray hold kennels. Ask to see the pets in the back. Ask about medical and quarantine. Ask about pets who failed behavior.
The website is not complete, and it never has been. Going in person is the only way to make sure your pet isn’t sitting there unlisted.
⭐ If Your Pet Is Microchipped
Call your microchip company right now and ask them to put a “lost pet flag” or “alert” on the microchip. This does two things:
1. Locks the chip so no one can transfer ownership.
2. Notifies you immediately if the chip is scanned anywhere.
Then ask the microchip company for these four things:
1. Confirm the chip is still registered to you
If it’s not, ask them to reverse any unauthorized changes immediately.
2. Add a “lost pet” alert / hold / flag
Every microchip company has a version of this. It prevents shelters, vets, rescues, or individuals from transferring ownership while the pet is missing.
3. Add ALL your contact numbers
Ask them to add:
• your main phone
• backup phone
• email
• emergency contact
This increases the chance someone reaches you the moment the pet is scanned.
4. Ask them to notify you immediately if the chip is scanned
They can send:
• text alerts
• email alerts
• phone calls
This is how owners get reunited fast.
⭐ Extra Tip (Very Helpful)
Ask the microchip company if they can send a broadcast alert to local shelters and vet clinics. Some companies do this automatically when a pet is marked as lost.
⭐ Why This Matters
When a pet goes missing, the microchip company becomes the first line of defense.
If someone finds the pet and tries to:
• claim ownership
• rehome it
• surrender it
• adopt it out
• transfer the chip
…the lost pet flag stops the transfer and forces the shelter/vet/rescue to contact the original owner.
This is one of the strongest protections a pet owner has during a missing pet situation.
⭐ COPY AND PASTE MESSAGE TO SEND TO THE MICROCHIP COMPANY
“Hello, I need to report my pet as missing and place a lost pet flag on the microchip. Please lock the chip so ownership cannot be transferred. Please confirm the chip is still registered to me, and reverse any unauthorized changes. Add all my contact numbers (phone, backup phone, email, emergency contact). Please notify me immediately if the chip is scanned anywhere. If possible, please send a broadcast alert to local shelters and vet clinics.”Read More
Any new pet added within 2 miles of your location will be automatically shared to your Nextdoor feed.
The post will automatically update when a pet is reunited.
Facebook Community Response
More Lost & Found Pets Near Colorado Springs, CO
View More Lost & Found Pets
JOIN THE
RESCUE
SQUAD
The Rescue Squad™ is a group of 7,637,999 pet lovers who have signed up for local lost & found pet alerts.
Join The Rescue Squad™