One of the primary purposes of the shelter is to house lost pets safely until they are able to be reunited with their owners, but did you know cats are 13 times more likely to be reunited with their owners if they never come into the shelter at all. If the cat appears safe and healthy, the best bet is to leave it alone for a few days and let it wander home, while also following the steps below.
For lost dogs, please follow all the steps below. If you find a lost dog and you need to bring it into the shelter after hours, please contact your local police department.
If you have lost your pet or if you have found someone’s lost pet, here are the best steps to take:
1) Contact local animal shelters to file a report about the pet that you are missing or that you have found. This will help the shelter staff reunite the pet more quickly with the owner if both parties file a report. You can use the contact form on this page.
2) Make a report on PetcoLoveLost. This website links to shelter websites to search based on the photo and information you put in to see if they have received any pets that match.
3) Submit a report on petlink.net, lostmykitty.com, or lostmydoggie.com to generate flyers and have lost reports sent to shelters and vet offices. On this website, you can also search currently missing pets if you happen to find a stray pet so you can reunite them with their owner.
4) Post the animal on social media pages such as Bring Home Athena, Find Toby in PA, or your town’s “what’s happening/be in the know” page.
5) If your pet is microchipped, alert the microchip company to add a “lost” alert on the chip.
One of the best ways to prevent lost pets is to spay/neuter your pets. They are less likely to wander from home.
**Please note: we do not accept healthy, ear-tipped cats. These cats have a caretaker in the community feeding them and providing shelter, and they’ve made sure they can no longer reproduce. If you catch an ear-tipped cat, just release it back.