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FOUND A LOST ANIMAL? Get the word out! Post it on Facebook and ask people to share the post as widely as possible. List the pet in the "found" page on your local Craigslist.com with location found but do ask serious questions of folks who respond - there has been some fraud from that source. Put some flyers up around the community. Chances are someone is desperately looking for that very pet. LOST A PET?? Get the word out on Facebook and ask your network of friends to share, share, share. Make sure you list where you lost or last saw your pet. Always check ALL of the area shelters* in person. Someone finding your pet may have taken it to any of our area shelters, including Norfolk and Chesapeake. Although shelters will try to help pet owners who call in lost animals, only YOU can recognize your pet. Don't rely on calling the shelter or expect the desk personnel to recognize your description. Go to the shelter yourself, at least every few days. Animals are picked up and relayed to shelters every day. Do not rely on tags (the collar and/or tags may have gotten tangled and torn off) or microchips as a guarantee that your pet will be identified. For Virginia Beach Animal Care & Adoption Center Contact info, Hours & Directions, click here. The following information is provided by VB City's Animal Control office: What should I do if my animal goes missing?Come to the VBACAC or call the office at (757) 385-4444 Option #2. In most cases verbal descriptions including breed type are not reliable. Citizens looking for lost pets are strongly advised to visit the VBACAC and look, especially if it has been more than 24 hours.
The best way to ensure the safe return of your lost animal is to have a city license on the animal. In most cases, animals wearing tags can be returned to the owner rather than being impounded. If no one is home, the officer will leave a note on the door advising the animal was picked up. If the officer is unable to access the pet tag information immediately, and cannot leave a note, the owner will be notified by telephone as soon as the officer obtains the information. If the animal is wearing tags, the owner must be notified within 48 hours.
Please remember animals will sometimes lose their tags or have them removed by someone. Even if your animal leaves home wearing a collar and tags, there is always a chance the collar may not be on when the animal is picked up. Consider microchipping your animal.
Impounded animals are held for their owner for 10 days if they are wearing a collar when picked up, and for 5 days if they are not wearing a collar when picked up. (After that, animals can be made available for adoption.)
Virginia Beach SPCA has several ways to help find a lost pet or report a found pet. Call 427-0070 or email the information to FrontdeskB@vbspca.com You can also file a Lost or Found report by completing this VBSPCA form: VBSPCA FORM Some other local area shelters to contact include:
For a very complete list of area shelters, veterinary clinics, police stations and more, click here: Places to check for a lost pet
 How To Find A Lost Cat Or Dog - Search your property thoroughly. Cats and small dogs can get into some mighty strange places. - Walk the neighborhood, talk to everybody, and leave your phone number. - Offer a reward, but don't state the amount. - Call local veterinarian offices during the day. After 5 PM, call veterinarian emergency clinics. - VISIT your local Animal Control, humane societies, and animal shelters, including the ones in surrounding areas. Do not rely on a phone call. - Leave a picture of your pet and your phone number at each shelter. - Ask Animal Control, humane societies, and shelters about pet rescue organizations in your area. - Place an ad in your local newspaper. Some will do this for free. List in the "lost/found" section of Craigslist and ask your friends to spread the word via Facebook and Twitter. - register with hrlostpets.pets.911.com - post signs everywhere Don't ever give up! Pets have found their way back home after being lost for several months. Good luck! A Few Words Of Caution There are dangerous people in our society who prey upon victims by using "found" pets as a ploy. NEVER respond to a "found" pet contact alone. Take a friend or two along with you. Arrange to meet in a public place. NEVER invite the person to your home unless you happen to know them well. Beware of money scams. A common one is a person calls you claiming to be a long-haul trucker. He says he picked up your pet and is out of state now. He heard about your ad, flyer, etc. and says he will return your pet if you will pay to ship it home. This person does not have your pet, he is only trying to take your money. Don't wander around looking for your pet alone, either during the day or at night. Always bring a friend or relative. This is especially important in unfamiliar neighborhoods. Do not send children out to search for pets. Please remember that you should never give out all of the identifying features of your lost pet. If the person who claims to have found your pet cannot describe these features to you, they do not have your pet! Some additional information can be found here: http://tinyurl.com/qsvsw6 When You Find Your Pet Go around and collect up all of your old flyers. Please!! If you left a lost pet report with any of the shelters, please contact them and report that your pet has been found. Thank everybody who has helped you! Be Prepared! How many of the following can you check off your list? Take a picture of your pet. Right now. Not only is it important to have a recent photo of your pet, but you should make sure that it is stored online somewhere, so that you can access it from anywhere at any time, if you should need to print up posters or show people what your pet looks like. Whether you choose to store your images on Flickr, Snapfish, Photobucket, Dogster, or on your pet ID and recovery service profile page, you'll be glad that you can access them when you need to. Get your dog or cat microchipped. Every vet's office will now do it for you, so what are you waiting for? As our own Dr. Barchas says, "Microchips cannot be lost, and they remain the most effective way to identify your pet permanently." PLEASE make sure you UPDATE the microship info if you move! Make a contact list for your pet. Take a few minutes to write downthe names of people who know your pet well. This should not only include friends and family members, but people who see your pet regularly, like the dog walker or friends at the dog park. These are going to be the first people that you contact in the event that your pet goes missing. Register with a pet ID and recovery service. While having an ID tagon your pet is a great start, you should make sure that your ID tag isconnected to an online pet ID and recovery service, so that your up-to-date contact information is always easily accessible to the finder of your pet. And, again, keep your contact information current! |
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Virginia Beach Animal Care & Adoption Center • 341 Birdneck Road in Virginia Beach, VA 23451 Map of Our Location
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