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If you find someone's lost pet, it's very helpful if you are able to bring it directly to one of our shelters. Many pet owners contact us first to inquire about their lost animal.
You may also post a no-cost "found pet" notice on the PetHarbor.com link on this website by clicking on "Search Our Shelters for Your Lost Pet" (located on our Home Page). Designate animal type and click "search now." Near the bottom of the next screen, click on "Stray or Found Dog/Cat". Click on "Register Your Lost Pet." At the first question, "What Service Do You Want?," click on the drop down menu and select "I Found a Pet." Fill in as much information as you can and click submit.
For more information on how to help return a pet to its family, please contact our Lost & Found Volunteer line at Martinez (925-335-8330) or Pinole (510-724-1036.) Thank you for taking the time to "bring our pets home".
What to do if you have lost your pet.
1. Go to the Animal Services Center that serves your area as soon as possible. Bring a photograph of your pet. It is very important that you come in person to look through the kennels at least every three days after filing a report. Volunteers at the centers will assist you in filing a "lost animal" report. The report will be kept on file for three months. Animals impounded without a current license are held three full working days for the owner to reclaim. It is essential that you continue to personally check the centers as only you would be certain to recognize your pet. Do not give up too soon. Many of the animals in the centers have wandered for weeks before being rescued by an Animal Services Officer, or well-meaning people may have held the animal for some time before turning it in.
2. Notify neighbors. Search areas thoroughly (especially in the evening as many pets become frightened and hide in the daytime).
Door-to-door canvassing may provide leads,
be
sure to leave contact information (i.e., phone number, name,
and/or address).
3. Advertise in local papers. Don't wait for the finder to advertise. Place posters with a photo of your pet in the vicinity where the pet was lost - markets, schools, etc.
Do not post on utility poles. Remember to remove the posters.
4. Enlist the help of children in the area. A reward may generate more interest.
5. Check with local veterinarians. Injured pets may have been taken there.
6. Check animal shelters adjacent to your area. It is very possible for your animal to travel or to be carried into the jurisdiction of another animal shelter.
Click here for list of local shelters.
We would like to emphasize the importance of returning to the Animal Services Center yourself to find your lost pet. Do not rely on someone else. The same volunteers are not on duty everyday, the number of animals impounded, and the number of "lost" reports taken make it difficult for the volunteers to identify each animal. The best chance a pet has of returning home is a loving concerned owner.
How not to lose your pet.
Even the most responsible pet owners can lose a pet due to unforeseen circumstances. Try to take every precaution to see that it is safely protected.
1. License: Dogs and cats with a current license tag attached to their collars are held at Animal Services Centers for a full ten days instead of the 3 full working days unlicensed strays are held. The owners are notified by telephone and letter. Keep the county informed of any address or telephone number changes after you have applied for your pet's license.
2. Identification Tag: Although many people are reluctant to assume a loose dog may be lost, a message such as "Help me, I'm lost" with your current telephone number and address on the tag will encourage someone to contact you rather than let it wander to starve, become ill, or get hit by a car.
3. Confinement: There is no better protection for your pet than a fenced yard or enclosed kennel area. Do not let your pet run loose. Loose animals have caused serious auto accidents, harassed/killed livestock and other confined animals, damaged property, and become neighborhood nuisances.
4. Obedience: Many local organizations offer low-cost training classes. A well-trained pet can be a joy for you as well as your neighbors. If you are interested in classes, one of the volunteers will be happy to give you the telephone numbers of organizations in your area.
5. Spay and Neuter: Decrease your animal's urge to wander to find a mate. Spaying and neutering eliminates or reduces the attraction of male animals to the female.
