Applicable to any U.S. area -- Applicable to some International areas

animal-pounds.com
LOST PETS
Who -- What -- Where -- Why -- How

IV-b. HOW TO SEARCH FOR A LOST PET
Applicable to any U.S. area --  Applicable to some International areas

    I.  Lost Pets - attitudes, issues, beliefs
   II.  Where lost pets go; animal behaviors; statistics; problems
  III.  Which facility may eventually get your pet and why
  IV.  How to search for a lost pet - Section IV-a
            You are here  Section IV-b   Section IV-c    Section IV-d
   V.  Example Search Schedule, Simplified
  VI.  How to change the lost and surrendered pet system

Our information has been carefully checked many times, from many angles; however, laws change, facilities change, numbers change, situations change. Everything you read here about the lost pet impoundment system can be verified or proven erroneous as you work to find your pet; you will find tips here on how to verify information as you learn how to accomplish a serious search.
We encourage you to verify verify verify.

In this 4-page section, continued:
A multitude of hidden tips. Your pet needs one. But which one?

Note:
Some information in this report is difficult to cope with and not for the faint of heart; plan for an efficient search; it can take weeks or months to find the lost.

This is page  IV-b;

read to bottom and continue to page IV-c

or click here to go back one page

 

B. SEARCH OVERVIEW

1. When you visit a pound or shelter, make notes about the facility -- how large it is, whether there is a bulletin board, how many and what kinds of intake lists they have, whether they allow access to all areas and what those areas are, and whether there is a particular person there whom you feel you can trust to keep an eye out for your lost pet. If you do not feel you can trust, then flag that facility as one you must visit personally.

NOTE: (this paragraph is repeated in E-2 Intake Lists) A possible blockade to your search is that you may find that a local agency will not allow you to read through their listings of dogs and cats brought in to the facility. This can be pretty important, since looking through their lists yourself can help you spot errors, note an animal that has already been through the facility that may be yours, locate an animal on the wrong list, etc. Sometimes you will not be allowed to view such lists because an agency (which is not a city pound) may consider the list their private property, not open to the public. But this can also happen because many times such lists exist only on their computer systems. In such a case, you are at the mercy of the agency employee or volunteer to search the list properly, carefully, and adequately. Worse, many facilities keep lists available for only 30 days. If you have lost your pet some time ago and you want to review back listings, and if your pet has already entered and left a facility more than 30 days ago, there will be no way for you to know and no way for you to find out. In such a case, we strongly recommend continuing your search, setting yourself a schedule, a determination of those things you will and will not do, and giving yourself a deadline as to when you will stop searching. Then do the best you can, and if you do not find your pet within that time period, simply accept it. Since many pets are out wandering on their own, or taken in to a temporary home, for some months or even a year or so, please do not give up too soon. There is, in fact, an excellent chance your pet is out there and needs you.

    Some facilities will not allow you to view certain animals. For example, if you are helping a friend by searching for their pet alone, you yourself may not be allowed to see new animals brought in, ill or injured animals, or dangerous animals, whereas the person who lost the pet may be allowed to view them. Private facilities do set some of their own rules, and you and I are obliged to follow them.

2. Recruit helpers whenever you can. Don't be shy about asking for help. If someone says "no", or doesn't bother doing anything after saying "yes", well, how bad can that be? While you may get plenty of no's, you are bound to get enough yes's, too. Hand out batches of posters or bulletin board cards and ask people to help you keep them posted in grocery stores, etc. Ask the same of people in the area in which your pet was lost.
     Every poster someone else is willing to put up is one more you don't have to worry about. When you go to pounds and shelters ask other visitors whether they come in often, and if they do, give them some posters and ask if they will keep looking at that facility for you and if they'll put some posters up elsewhere, too. Make a note of this on your records ... and if possible, get info so you can keep in touch with them. Ask them to post in their own neighborhood, at work, at the grocery store, etc. Do not rely on any one person though ... ask everyone, in hopes that you will end up with at least one helpful person for each facility.

3. Postings and other help. Ask people wherever you call, wherever you go, if they would put up even a single poster for you in their own neighborhood, office, grocery store, laundry, apartment building. If they'll do more, all the better. Will some of them make phone calls? Search out good email addresses for agencies? List on Craig's List and then keep on top of that ad for you? Often, you will find other pet lovers who will help long-term. Ask children in the area of loss to keep an eye out for your pet; leave a poster with them. Door-knock if possible, and ask neighbors, parents of the kids, apartment managers, store workers, etc. to help, and to put up posters.

     Ask all of these people to ask friends, neighbors, co-workers if they will put up a poster or two wherever they happen to work or live. Be sure to convince them how important distance can be, since most people do not understand how far little pets can get even on their own. Continued below; please scroll down ....

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helping
get lost pets home

(Please note that we run any monies through notarynut web payments since we do not have our own account at this time)
Thank you!

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Call every single municipality and county and ask who handles animal control