What to do if you lose or find a pet

What to do if you lose or find a pet

If you are a pet owner please take the time to make sure that your pet has a collar and ID tag with your information if possible. Also have your pet microchipped. Animal control and local vets will scan for a chip on pets that are found. Microchips can be inserted by local vets and animal shelters. Front Street Animal Shelter in Sacramento does it for $5. VIP mobile Pet Care Clinics are at Pet Club and Pets To Go East on a weekly basis and they charge $15. It’s important to make sure you register your pet’s microchip and keep it updated. This can be done for free by going to https://microchipregistry.foundanimals.org/

Tips on what to do if you find or lose a pet:

• Post it to Elk Grove Pets Lost and Found Facebook page. Share the area the animal was lost or found.
• If possible post a photo and a contact number. You can always delete your number later. Often times it is hard to connect the owner with the finder through Facebook because the messages go to the other folder
• Post it on nextdoor.com in your area under lost and found
• If possible take the animal to be scanned for a chip. If you live in Elk Grove, we have a chip scanner and can come over and scan it. Or you can take it to any vet and they will scan it.
• If you find a pet, make sure the person can show you photos before turning the pet over to them. Some people claim dogs that aren’t theirs and then sell them or use them for fighting.
• File a report with http://petharbor.com/ Not everyone is on social media or is tech savvy. They may check the local shelters. Petharbor works with the shelters.
• Use the app Finding Rover on your phone
• If you live outside of Elk Grove, post it on Sacramento Pets Lost and Found, or search on Facebook for the local lost and found page in your area.
• If you see a loose pet on the streets, please call animal control. If you can stop to help that is even better. In Elk Grove the number is 714-5115. In the city of Sacramento you can call 311.

From Stephanie Phillips:
Going door to door may help- taking the dog on a leash to see if it guides you to its home. Make a found dog report at the shelter too! That’s the first place the owners will look!
Please check craigslist under lost and found and under the pet section. Please make a found dog ad in both sections as well!
• FOUND
Here are some GREAT TIPS when you have found a pet and looking for the owner. They work!
• Immediately take it to a local Vet or shelter to have it scanned for a microchip to locate the owner. It’s free!
• Make a big sign for your front yard! Keep it simple- Example:
FOUND DOG/CAT! Medium size, white and brown, female and male
• Please call 123-4567
• Then go to https://www.lostmydoggie.com/package-options.cfm
Choose the FREE option, you can then enter the info and photos. This information is faxed immediately to Animal Shelters, Rescue agencies and veterinarians. Many OWNERS have been found this way!
Remember that the owner might be a person who is a senior citizen or a person who does not use Facebook. Post a sign in your front yard that says “FOUND DOG! Call 123-4567”
And if someone sees your sign who has a missing pet, they can call you and identify it