Step by Step to Help a Lost Pet

Found a pet? Here help:

Be safe! Not Sorry! If the animal is aggressive or you fear for your safety, call your local animal control centre for assistance.



If the animal is manageable, check for identification and record this information on a sheet of paper.



Once you have written down all of this information, register the animal as "Found" on PetLynx. Don't worry if you can't find any form of I.D.! PetLynx's AutoMatch system can make matches based on physical description alone! 

Look for ID on collars: If there are no visible tags, take the collar off and check for a hand-written phone on the underside o the collar

Check for tattoos: Look inside both ears, on the inside hind legs and on the abdomen. Don't worry if you can't decipher the tattoo, PetLynx can search for AutoMatches even with a partial tattoo number.

Check for a Microchip: This form of "electronic identification" is smaller than a grain of rice and is inserted under the animal's skin. You can't actually see or feel a microchip, so will have to take the animal to a veterinary clinic or animal shelter to have the animal "scanned" for a microchip.

In addition to adding the pet to the lost and found network, PetLynx enables you to easily create and print posters to distribute around your neighbourhood.

You should also:

• Contact your local SPCA and Animal Control Centre. 
• Contact local veterinary clinics, pet groomers and pet supply stores. 
• 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 charge.  
• Ask neighbours if they recognize the animal. 
• If you have found a purebred animal, contact a breed organization. 

When you find the guardian, don't forget to contact the various groups keeping records -- including PetLynx -- and let them know the animal is HomeSafe so they can take the animal off their records.

Feral? Stray? Or new to the neighborhood?

How to determine if a wandering cat needs your help

In rural and suburban areas many people, unfortunately, allow their animals to roam free - especially cats.

Cats tend to wander a fair distance from their home, so do not be quick to assume a 'stray' cat is lost or abandoned. Most cats are also nonchalant when roaming free, whereas dogs tend to be focused on their guardian and are more distressed when lost.

Observe if the cat appears well cared for or is dirty, thin, hurt, ill or generally frightened. If the cat appears uncared for and thin, you need to intervene right away. For sick or injured cats, call your local humane society or animal control right away.

Be aware that a cat which has been on its own for a period of time or one that is hurt may not be approachable and could scratch or bite. Approach cautiously and wear gloves if you attempt to handle a lost cat.

If the cat looks healthy, you may want to take a 'wait and see' approach to determine if it is still around over a couple of days. During that time, ask some of your neighbours if they know who may own the cat.

If you suspect the cat is genuinely lost, post its description on PetLynx. (But be sure to go back into PetLynx and remove the 'found' report if the cat disappears or you discover it lives just a few doors away.)

PetLynx has a state-of-the-art program called AutoMatchTM, that matches lost and found pets based on a physical description. It works, even if you do not know the age or sex of an animal and if there is no visible pet identification.

When to Help a Stray Pet....

And when to call for back-up!

It is instinctive for most animal lovers to want to rush forward to help a stray pet. Sometimes, however, catching and transporting stray pets should be left to your local humane society or animal services provider.

Whenever you see a stray dog or cat in your neighborhood, THINK SAFETY FIRST! Never put the safety of you, your family or your own pets in jeopardy.

• If the animal is showing ANY signs of aggression, leave it alone. If there is imminent danger to people -- especially children -- call '9-1-1.' In most cases, however, you should contact your municipal animal control centre.

• If you can safely transport it, a sick or injured stray should be taken to your local animal shelter or a veterinary clinic right away. (You will not have to pay for its care.)

• Leave a mother cat or dog with a litter, or an orphaned litter, alone! (Unless they are in immediate danger.) Call your humane society for advice before taking action.

• If you have been able to safely contain the animal, check for any form of identification - PetLynx tag, city license, tattoo, rabies tag, personalized identification tag, or microchip. Call these contact numbers and, if you have no luck finding the owner, register a 'Found' report on PetLynx and call area service providers right away.

• Before taking healthy strays to an animal shelter or vet clinic, do a search on PetLynx. There may already be a record of the lost pet and you may be matched with the owners right away, saving the animal a trip to the shelter.

• If someone claims to be the animal's owner, insist on identification and proof of ownership before releasing him or her.

Photo published and HomeSafe in an hour!

Bugsy, a seven-year old Wheaton-Schnauzer mix, went on the lam (without his collar and ID on) after someone accidentally left the front door open. His guardians searched the neighborhood until dark but couldn't find him.

"It was the eve of the first day of school," says Joann, "and instead of excitement and anticipation, my three daughters were inconsolable!"

Joann called the City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services to report Bugsy missing and find out what to do. They took her information, and told her about the Calgary Humane Society website and Petlynx.

"The Petlynx website was great!" exclaimed Joann. "I especially liked the lost posters and the regular email updates when there are potential matches."

At 5 pm the next day Bugsy's picture appeared on the PetLynx website! The family raced down to Animal Services right away. The staff were amazed to see them, since his photo had only been published an hour earlier!

"Fortunately, this was the first (and hopefully the last) time we have lost Bugsy," said Joann. "I was very impressed with how kind and concerned everyone was, and with the way Animal Services, the Humane Society and Petlynx work together to allow for such timely re-uniting of pets and their owners. It really works!

"Thanks again from our whole family, and as far as Bugsy is concerned, he is so grounded!"

Local Service Providers:
Calgary Humane Society
City of Calgary Animal & Bylaw Services

Cat makes a break for it, then gets HomeSafe

Our cats are never aloud outside unless on harnesses, so we were very worried when our five-year-old cat, Diesel, bolted out the door when I wasn’t looking and he would not let me catch him! We live in a town house complex in Regina that is actually "cat heaven" for any cat that is on the loose…. It is surrounded by park, trees, lawn, birds, rabbits, bugs, tall grass and even a creek nearby, so we were even more surprised when Diesel chose to run across a busy street before he disappeared from sight!

The first day he was missing we biked and walked around the neighbourhood calling and looking for him and asking neighbors if he they had seen him. The next night a neighbor who remembered us looking and asking spotted Diesel. Because Diesel was were a collar and tag the neighbour was able to call us.... even though it was close to midnight! Without that collar and tag we definitely would not have gotten our cat back so quickly and things may have been very different!

Thank you very much for this site. It is well done and very user friendly. Keep up the good work and thank you again!

Alex K.
Regina

Local Service Providers: Regina Humane Society