What to do if you've LOST or FOUND a pet?
Even with the best laid plans, sometimes an animal can get lost. A door gets left open, they break through a screen or they escape while walking on a leash
Midlands Humane Society maintains "Lost and Found" books for cats and dogs. We encourage owners of lost pets to stop in personally to look through our kennels and fill out a report so that we can be on the lookout should they enter our building. Providing a color photograph is another great way to help match lost pets to their owners. We also encourage you to post on several social media platforms for lost and found pets in our area.
Please Note: Submitting a lost report does not guarantee that we will call you if your pet comes in. Unless the pet is microchipped or has a valid ID tag on its collar when found, we may not know it is your pet. We recommend you physically come to the shelter regularly to look for your lost pet.
Here are a few tips if you have lost a pet:
- Contact your local animal shelter and even shelters in the next county to inquire if they have your lost pet. Make a report in person if possible and provide a photograph.
- Gather medical information about your pet. Have copies of their vaccine records and other important medical forms.
- If your pet is microchipped, make sure that the microchip company has all your information up to date including phone numbers, emails and addresses.
- Head to social media "Lost & Found Pet" pages and make a report and scroll through to see if anyone has seen or picked up your missing pet.
Here are a few tips if you have found a pet:
- Any veterinary clinic, animal shelter or animal control office can scan a found pet in search of a microchip. If the animal has a microchip, they can attempt to contact the owner to claim their pet.
- Bring the lost pet to the animal shelter closest to you. In most cases, they will be able to accept the animal and help try to find its owner. In the event finding the owner is not feasible, the animal will be evaluated and if possible placed on the adoption floor. Many shelters can only accept (take in) animals from inside their jurisdiction. For the Midlands Humane Society - that includes animals and owners inside the city of Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County.
- Don't put yourself in danger trying to restrain a lost pet. Be careful of moving vehicles and mindful to not get bit. Frightened animals can lash out in fear or if injured.
- You can take photos of the animal you found and put them on Lost & Found Pet pages in hopes that the rightful owner will surface.
PETCO LOVE LOST: MHS is now a member of "Petco Love Lost", where the goal is to reunite pets to their family. This facial recognition software is one of the newest and most innovative attempts to help reconnect lost pets with their families. You can learn more about this groundbreaking new system by clicking the link below.
