Lost Dog - 5/11/2008

Harley has been FOUND!

Lost Dog - 1/13/2008

Lady Eitel is 17 years old. We are concerned that she will not be able to fend for herself on these cold nights.

Place Last Seen: Corinthian in Lakeway

Owner: Russ, 512-633-1758

If you've lost a pet

If you've recently lost your pet, visit this link on Petfinders.org which is entitled "What do you do if you lose your dog?" but could apply to many pets. The article offers steps to follow to help locate your missing pet.

If you need to find a new home for your pet

If it is necessary for you to find a new home for your pet, I suggest you read the following articles from TheAnimalSpirit.com that will help ensure that your loving pet finds a new home that is just as loving.

• Finding a New Home for a Companion Animal
• Why "Free to a Good Home" Ads are a Bad Idea!

If you find a stray animal

Should I take the animal in?

In rural and suburban areas many people, unfortunately, allow their animals to roam free - cats especially. Cats tend to wander from home a fair distance, so do not be quick to assume the cat is lost or abandoned. Cats are also more territory whereas dogs tend to be focused on their guardian and are more distressed when separated.

If you take a lost animal into your care, you have two choices. You can immediately bring the animal to the animal shelter. Or you can help locate the guardian on your own. Taking some time to try to find the guardian will greatly increase the chance that the animal will be reunited with its guardian more quickly and with minimum stress to the animal. This would be especially true if the closest animal shelter is quite a distance away.

• Cats
  Check to see if the animal appears well cared for or is dirty, thin, hurt, ill, or generally frightened. If the cat looks healthy, see if the cat is still around over a couple of days. If the cat appears uncared for and thin, you need to intervene right away. If any animal appears sick or injured, call the SPCA or pound immediately. Note that animals that have been on their own for a period of time may not be approachable and can unpredictably scratch or bite. Approach cautiously and wear gloves if you attempt to handle cats.
  
• Dogs
  If you find a stray dog, again, use common sense by looking to see if the animal is well cared for. If the dog appears healthy, groomed, and approachable, then chances are he or she is merely lost and not abandoned. If friendly, you can take him or her in and help find the animal's guardian.
  

Is the Animal a Neighborhood Pet?

Remember that most animals that are lost belong in the neighborhoods where they are stray, and the guardians may be frantically looking for their pet. Bringing the animal to your local animal shelter is an option, but moving the animal from the neighborhood reduces the chances that the pet will be reunited with its guardian. At least for a couple of days -- if you are able -- try to find the guardian yourself.

Steps to help find the guardians

• Look for ID on collars. If there are no visible tags, take the collar off and look carefully for ID. Sometimes there is identification written on the collar -- inside or out. If there is no ID around the neck, check for tattoos inside ears, on gums, on the inside hind legs and on the abdomen. The tattoo will usually contain both letters and numbers. You can call this code in to a veterinary clinic, city pound, kennel club or SPCA shelter and they can tell you where the animal had the tattoo done. The clinic will have the address of the animal's guardian (if the records are up to date).
• The animal may also be microchipped, which is a form of electronic identification that is inserted under the animal's skin. Unfortunately, you will have no way of knowing this. You should take the animal to a veterinary clinic, pound, or SPCA shelter that has a microchip scanning device.
• Put up some posters around your neighborhood in prominent locations indicating you have found an animal. Include a brief description and your phone number. Put the date and location where the animal was found on the poster. If you can add a picture, that will help. (Always withhold some particular information that is characteristic of the animal that only the actual guardian might know such as a special marking or a scar to verify the guardian's authenticity.)
• Check the "Lost and Found" column of your local paper.
• Place an ad in your local paper -- this ad space is generally offered free of change by newspapers as a community service.
• Use the Internet -- There are many websites dedicated to helping lost & found animals be returned to their guardians. LakeTravisPets.com has been developed specifically to bring animals home in the Lake Travis area, and all postings are free of charge.
• Contact local veterinary clinics in your community to inform them you have found an animal. Also, you can register the animal with other rescue groups -- many communities have a lost and found network that helps reunited guardians with lost pets. Ask for numbers at a pet supply store, veterinary clinic, or SPCA shelter.
• Ask neighborhood children and other neighbors if they recognize the animal and encourage them to ask their friends if they know someone who has lost an animal.
• If you have found a purebred animal, you could contact a breed organization. Often a member of the specific breed group will be willing to aid the search or perhaps take the animal and locate the guardian.
• Report that you have found a pet to the local animal shelter. If you find the guardian, as a courtesy, contact the groups keeping records and let them know so they can take the animal off their records.

Can I keep him if no one comes forward?

Often people end up keeping an animal after an exhaustive search fails to find the guardians. Yet, even after a month or more, the animal may not be legally yours. Animals currently fall under the property sections of the law, so even though the animal might be bonding to you, he or she may still be the property of someone else.