Lost/Found a Pet?
***NOTE: Pittie Me Rescue is not able to take in any owner surrender/stray dogs at this time. Please see below or visit dog owner resources
Try these sites when looking for your lost pet:
Lost Dogs of AZ
Lost Dogs of Arizona
Maricopa County Animal Care and Control
Arizona Humane Society
Petfinder.com
Petharbor.com
Lost Dogs of AZ
Lost Dogs of Arizona
Maricopa County Animal Care and Control
Arizona Humane Society
Petfinder.com
Petharbor.com
Losing a family pet can be very stressful, not to mention heartbreaking. It is imperative that you act immediately once realising that your pet is missing. Below are some steps you can take to try and locate your missing pet.
Lost a pet:
Found an animal:
Can't find the owner?
Check with your local shelter to see how long you legally have to wait to re-home the animal after finding it. It can range from 6 days to at least two weeks. Arizona Law states that if you care for a dog or cat for six consecutive days, you automatically become the owner of animal at which time you can choose to keep the animal or work to find a new permanent home.
If you decide to re-home the dog yourself, PLEASE ensure you conduct a home visit and ask for some kind of re-homing fee to try and ensure that the dog is going into a good home. ALSO make sure that the dog is spayed/neutered before placing into a new home to ensure that there are no unwanted litters. You can post flyers at local Starbucks or business that allow flyers to be hung. You can also post the dog for free at rescueme.org. You can also post on nextdoor.com. (please know that these are merely suggestions and that Pittie Me Rescue is not responsible for the re-homing of the dog)
If all else fails, contact a local non-kill rescue or you have the option of taking the animal to the local animal shelter. Just know, that at least 40% of all animals that end up at the local pound, do not make it out alive.
***NOTE: Pittie Me Rescue is not able to take in any owner surrender/stray dogs at this time.
Lost a pet:
- Post fliers in a 5 mile radius with a picture of your lost pet and good contact information. Dogs travel far and fast.
- Write lost dog on your car windows with details
- Place food, water and a scent item (your clothing, dog bed) where dog was last seen.
- Place a LOST PET sign in your front yard, in case someone has found your pet and is driving around trying to find the pet's home.
- Remind everyone NOT to chase the dog if seen.
- Check your local shelters DAILY - This is imperative. The local shelters place a 72 hour hold on the picked up dog/cat. Once the 72 hour hold is up, the dog/cat is evaluated to determine if it is adoptable. Many stray animals end up being Euthanized after the 72 hours. (Maricopa County Animal Care Center 602-506-7387)
- Check petharbor.com on a regular basis to see if you the dog has been posted
- Notify your local vet, in case your animal was found injured and brought in for treatment, or finder brings in animal to be scanned for a microchip.
- If you feel your pet may have been stolen, notify your local police.
- Post information on Facebook regarding your lost pet, and ask everyone to share and keep an eye out. Two great facebook pages for posting your lost pet: Lost Dogs of AZ and Lost Dogs of Arizona . Additionally, post on Straydar via Facebook.
- Place a LOST PET ad on Craigslist in the Lost and Found section AND the Pet section.
- •Register your lost pet with Petfinder
- File a report with Missing Mutts (and Cats): (480) 898-8914
- Check for Lost Pets on Petharbor.com
- Post on nextdoor.com, post on Ring webiste
Found an animal:
- Does the animal have tags? Call the number located on the tag to notify the owner.
- Have the animal checked for a micro-chip by a local vet, PetsMart, Petco, etc. It they are chipped, the micro-chip company can notify the owner that their pet was found. It may be necessary to have the pet checked multiple times for a chip. The chip can "float" and if the scanner isn't universal, it won't pick it up.
- Check with your neighbors and the neighbors kids to see if the dog has been seen before. Kids have an amazing way of noticing these kinds of things.
- Post flyers within a 5 mile radius with a picture of the animal and your contact information. (You will be amazed at how far an animal can travel and how fast.)
- Place a "Found Animal" ad on Craigslist in the Lost and Found section AND the Pet section. It is best to ask for proof ownership before turning over dog to ensure the right family is claiming the dog.
- Set up a free account with Nextdoor.com to let your neighbors know of found dog
- Post on Facebook in Lost/Found Pet Groups. Two great facebook pages for posting a found pet: Lost Dogs of AZ and Lost Dogs of Arizona
- Post on Facebook Page - www.facebook.com/groups/Straydar
- Visit www.maricopa.gov/pets to make a found dog/cat report
- Visit www.petharbor.com to post the pet as found
Can't find the owner?
Check with your local shelter to see how long you legally have to wait to re-home the animal after finding it. It can range from 6 days to at least two weeks. Arizona Law states that if you care for a dog or cat for six consecutive days, you automatically become the owner of animal at which time you can choose to keep the animal or work to find a new permanent home.
If you decide to re-home the dog yourself, PLEASE ensure you conduct a home visit and ask for some kind of re-homing fee to try and ensure that the dog is going into a good home. ALSO make sure that the dog is spayed/neutered before placing into a new home to ensure that there are no unwanted litters. You can post flyers at local Starbucks or business that allow flyers to be hung. You can also post the dog for free at rescueme.org. You can also post on nextdoor.com. (please know that these are merely suggestions and that Pittie Me Rescue is not responsible for the re-homing of the dog)
If all else fails, contact a local non-kill rescue or you have the option of taking the animal to the local animal shelter. Just know, that at least 40% of all animals that end up at the local pound, do not make it out alive.
***NOTE: Pittie Me Rescue is not able to take in any owner surrender/stray dogs at this time.