Tips for returning a found pet to the owner
Finding a lost dog acquires a completely different meaning, because it’s not just a thing, it’s a living creature. You can’t leave it at home on the shelf, what you can do with the found wallet or phone, found animals need care.
Today we are going to talk about all the possible ways to return a lost pet to its owner from taking it to the animal shelter to posting an ad online.
To know that you can bring the missing pet to the lost-and-found is not enough. You not only have to look after the new friend, but you can also teach yourself to get along with it while it is on your payroll. Missing dogs are usually scared, and sometimes they can treat your kind gestures in the wrong manner.
You need to be careful because a lost pet can scratch or bite you. Pay attention to the missing dog’s health status to prevent your health from different possible harmful factors.
Pay attention to the info below, and you will find out how to hold a meeting with the owner properly, to prevent putting yourself in danger.
What to do if you found a missing pet?
If you already found someone’s furry friend, you should focus on returning a found pet to the owner. Don’t waste your time and follow the steps below.
- Find out whether a pet is injured.
It can be a reason for the aggressive reaction to someone it doesn’t know. If you noticed blood or a broken paw, contact the animal hospital or shelter as soon as possible. Don’t hurry to do something on your own, because your wrong decision can entail consequences. Offering food would be an appropriate step to let the pet treat you like a friend, not like an enemy.
- Look for an ID.
Check out a dog’s collar and find an identification tag and get in touch with the owner as soon as you can. If you didn’t notice any contact information or even the collar, you need to explore if a found pet has a microchip. Unfortunately, it is impossible to detect that chip at home, so you need to take a found animal to a vet.
- Visit a local pet lost-and-found service.
Contact the local lost-and-found and leave your contact information. If the valid owner appears there, the service workers will help them get in touch with you.
- Provide a safe and warm place for the animal to stay.
An animal needs some room to stay and feel comfortable while searching for its owner. Treat the found animal like a guest, which can become a member of your family. Who knows?
- Post ads at the area where you found a pet.
Take a picture of your new friend and print it to post ads in the area, where you found it. Describe the unique features and leave your contact info. You need to do all your best to help a pet to reunite with its family.
- Search for the owner of the found pet online.
Now we have an excellent opportunity to look for the lost things and pets online. You can also tell the world about an item, (but in our case — a pet) that you found by posting an ad online. Have you ever heard about the lost-and-found sites, where people are looking even for missing parrots?
- Take a dog to the nearest animal shelter.
If you have no time to look after the dog, you can take it to the nearest animal shelter. Or you have already tried all the possible ways to help an animal find its home, it will be better to leave it there.
How to find the owner of the found animals?
It’s easier to find something with Lostify. Our digital lost-and-found service provides an opportunity to sort the items by various filters and categories.
How to post an ad? Take some pictures of the animal, describe it in detail, and highlight the colour, type, and all the needed features to help it to be found.
Our lost and found platform allows people to search for every kind of pets — dogs, cats and even parrots.
Don’t forget to check out the published posts. Maybe an owner of the pet is already waiting for his saviour.
The procedure of returning a missing pet to its owner
If you are already made an appointment, ask the owner to take a document, which can prove the right of the ownership. It’s best to hold the meeting in public in broad daylight for both your own and the pet’s safety.
If possible to choose the neutral territory ― make an appointment at the vet’s office or near the police department.
“You become responsible forever for what you’ve tamed.” ― Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince. It doesn’t matter what pet you found, was it a dog, a cat or a parrot, remember to be responsible.