Lost and Found Pet Resources

By: Valerie Ferguson ZimmVet Receptionist

If you have ever lost or found a pet you may have stopped and asked yourself, “What do I do next?”

If you ever find yourself in this situation, here are some tips to assist in finding your pet or locating the rightful owner of the pet that you have found.

If you have lost your pet, the following steps may be helpful in their safe and timely return:

• Search your house, yard and surrounding areas while calling your pet by name and using exciting words that your pet likes to hear such as “treat” or “go for a ride”
• Leave your pets’ bedding, crate or your clothing with your scent on it by the location that your pet left from (blankets, pillowcases, clothing and pet beds work well)
• Leave food and water out for them
• If practical, leave doors open to the house, especially doors that your pet is used to using
• Recruit neighbors, friends and family to assist in search efforts by car, foot, bike or by making phone calls to local veterinary clinics, shelters, rescues, law enforcement and posting on social media groups
• If you have another pet in your home it may be helpful to take them with you while searching for your lost pet
• Carry your pets’ leash, treats and a photo of your dog to show people that you encounter during your search

TIPS:

• Large brightly colored signs are helpful in the area where the pet was last seen
• When searching by car, drive with your flashers on and have a sign in the window that says “Lost Dog” or “Lost Cat”

Local animal control contacts:

• Sherburne County (Eastern), Livonia Township, Baldwin Township – Craig Hillburn 612-501-7814 / Princeton Animal Clinic 763-389-2440
• Elk River City Limits – 763-635-1200 / Barrington Oaks Veterinary Clinic 763-441-4000

Local veterinary clinics:

• Contact all local veterinary clinics – ZimmVet has a list of local veterinary clinics. Feel free to contact our office and will gladly email you this document.

Online Resources:

www.lostdogsmn.com (creates a lost/found dog report and posts to Facebook)

www.animalhumanesociety.org (under pet services) creates a post on their website

www.tricountyhumanesociety.org (has a list of contact information)

https://theretrievers.org/ (may be able to assist with live trapping efforts)

On Facebook – post to all local online community groups

Please keep in mind that a pet can enter into what is called “survival mode” which is when the pet regresses to their primal instincts, meaning in their mind, they are on their own. Humans may be viewed as predators who want to capture and harm them. People who are yelling or calling the pets’ name, shaking a food container or are making loud noises may all invite a fight a flight response.

With survival (safety) being the first concern, oftentimes, when a dog in survival mode sees, hears or smells something familiar to them (even the people who have been by their side for several years), they will do the exact opposite of what you would expect including running the opposite direction or even leaving the area and avoiding it in the future, as there may now be a negative connotation to that particular spot.

A pet that has entered “survival mode” often times prioritizes things in the following order: Survival, Food, Water, Shelter.