Finding Lost Pets

This great information on finding lost cats just came in from Nicole at Kent County Animal Rescue.

Since many dog lovers also love cats, and since many of the tips apply to both, I thought I'd share...




Less than 2% of all "lost" cats are reunited with their owners. That is a really scary number. Especially considering how easily this could happen. It only takes a split second.

This is why I feel that it is absolutely necessary for every indoor cat to wear an ID Tag. I really believe this is one of the most important things you can do for your cat.

Today, I'd like to give you a few quick tips to help you find a missing pet. But more importantly, I'm also going to tell you what you can do to prevent this from ever happening to you and your precious pet.

If your pet is lost:

* Search the area. Talk to the neighbors and passersby.
* Walk or drive through the area several times daily. Early morning and evening are the best times to look for a lost pet.
* Hand out a recent photograph of your pet and information on how you can be reached.
* Post signs in the neighborhood with your pet's description, a photo, your phone number and information about ID tags.
* Put signs in grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices and other high traffic locations.
* Place advertisements in newspapers and with radio stations. Include your pet's sex, age, weight, breed, color and special markings.
* The Internet may be helpful in tracking down a lost pet, although its search is wide and random.
* Here's something that can really help get your pet back home to you. The http://www.facebook.com/l/;IDTag.com Pet ID Tag ... it's like an "Amber Alert" for pets. If your pet is lost, they will immediately notify humane societies and shelters within a 50-mile radius, and post a missing pet alert to websites that help find lost pets. This is one of the best pet protection programs I've ever seen.

Prevent your cat from ever getting lost!

* If you have an indoor/outdoor cat, don't leave your animal outside when you're gone for long periods of time.
* If you are gone for a long time, leave your pet with a responsible person or get a house sitter.
* Jot down the numbers from your pet's rabies tag, write your phone number on his tag, and take a good photo of your pet.
* Consider having a computer microchip implanted under your pet's skin. Shelters and veterinary hospitals use microchips to identify lost animals and reunite them with their owners.
* Every pet should have an ID tag. Even indoor cats. If your cat were to ever sneak out, like Oreo did, an ID tag is your cat's best chance of being reunited with you. I recommend the http://www.facebook.com/l/;IDTag.com Pet ID Tag. It has some very nice features including a toll-free hotline for owners of lost pets and the people who find them ... and the hotline is there for you 24 hours a day, 356 days a year. They will also notify all shelters within a 50-mile radius, which can really increase your chances of being reunited with your kitty.

One of the BEST ways to help bring a lost pet back home to you is to protect him with proper identification ... on his collar, an ID tag, or with a microchip.
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Unnecessary dog adoption heartache

Today's newspaper told a sad story - and it's a story that was entirely preventable.

It seems a little dog wandered out of his yard and got lost. His humans looked high and low, posted signs with his picture everywhere, contacted all the surrounding animal shelters, and even posted his picture on all the websites that list lost dogs and ran ads in the local newspapers - with his photo.

One of those shelters and websites they contacted was the one where he was brought when he was "found" nearly 2 weeks later.

The day after he was found, a gentleman came to the shelter and asked to adopt him. So when the requisite 72 hours had elapsed, he went to his new home. A month later, by chance, his original family learned where he was and tried to get him back. No dice. The man said he adopted him fair and square and that was that.

This case has already been to court once and is going back again. The question seems to be where the dog was found - in the city or the county. The answer to that will determine whether the shelter had authority to take him in and adopt him out.

This is sad for the dog's original owners - and for the new person.

What should have happened when that dog came in was a cross-check with the lost dog reports - and the shelter's own website. Had they looked, they'd have seen his photo, made a call, and helped him get back home.

It's also sad for animal shelters. Many depend upon public support for funding, so a mistake like this could cost dearly. Who wants to support a rescue group that won't even check the lost dog reports before sending a dog off to a new home? Sounds like a pretty sloppy and uncaring organization.

And, people being human, they're apt to paint all shelters with the same brush.

All rescue workers have too much to do - so often volunteers are not trained well. I don't know if that's what happened in this case, but it is a shame that so many people are hurting - and spending big $$ on attorneys - when the whole situation should never have happened.

My heart goes out to these humans - and to the poor little dog who now has two homes and can only live in one.

Maybe, before you adopt a dog, you should ask:

• Has this dog been checked for a microchip?
  
• Have you checked your lost dog reports to make sure no one is searching for this dog?

That way you could possibly avoid the heartache that these folks are facing.