Lost Your Pet?

If you have lost an animal, it is very important you start looking asap and do all of the following:

• Post your pet’s picture around your area and include your name & phone number. Write in large print and include the largest picture you have so it can be seen from a moving vehicle. 
• Post your pet’s picture at the offices of local vets and other animal-related businesses and with area rescue groups. Include your name & phone number. Be sure to also show the flyer to the staff in case your pet has been brought there or to see if they have received a found-animal call about your pet.
• Check with your local After-Hours Emergency Animal Hospital to see if your pet has been picked up injured and brought there. (In WNC, that is REACH at (828) 665-4399.)
• Put an ad in your local paper under the Lost Pets section. Most papers offer these ads for free. 
• Call local shelters (animals can travel quickly, so call surrounding shelters also) and leave a description of the animal with your name & phone number. But do not stop there. Also visit the shelters in your area in person to look for your pet. What you may describe as a Russian Blue may be listed by the shelter as a domestic short hair stray, or they may have your lost retriever sitting in a cage listed as a shepherd mix. The only way to know for sure is to see every stray animal for yourself. It is also important to point out that most shelters, including the Buncombe County Shelter, only hold stray animals for 72 hours before they can be euthanized. Do not waste time waiting for them to find their own way home!  
• Go to Lost Pets WNC to list your pet as lost. It is a FREE service and will greatly increase your chances of getting your pet back home. You can also check the Found listings at the site and obtain contact info and links to area vets, shelters and other animal related businesses and organizations.
• If your pet is not found and you want to exhaust every avenue to learn their outcome, you have the option of calling the Department of Transportation (DOT) to see if they have removed any pets from the roadways. (In WNC, call (202) 366-4000.)

To avoid losing your pet, please make sure your pet has both a microchip and an id tag with your name and phone number. The microchip will help your pet get home if the id tag is lost, and an id tag is the fastest way to get your pet returned to you. 

If you have found a lost pet, please bring them to a vet office or the shelter to have them scanned for a microchip (a free service) and file a Found Pet report with the local and surrounding area shelters.