Have you ever found a cat or dog you think may be lost and not known what to do? Being a responsible and compassionate animal lover, your first instinct might be to help but you don’t know how. If you find a cat or dog that appears lost, here’s how to help reunite them with their worried pet parents.
- Always approach any animal with caution, remember not all dogs and cats are friendly towards strangers, especially if
they’re scared. You also want to avoid scaring the animal further so move
slowly and speak in a soothing calm voice. Extend your hand slowly to allow them to sniff you and get familiar with your scent. - Check for a collar, pet ID tag or tag on a harness as this is the easiest, quickest way to identify a lost pet. Dogs often have tags on their collars with the owner’s contact information. If your pet doesn’t have one, check out the importance of having your pet microchipped.
- If you can safely secure the cat or dog, do so. Use a leash for dogs or a cat carrier for cats if available. If the animal resists, try using food as a lure to encourage them to come with you.
- If the animal isn’t wearing an ID tag, you’ll need to check if the animal has a microchip number by taking them to a nearby vets to scan for a microchip. This is a free service done by all vets. They’ll share the microchip number with other vets to try to find where the chip is registered. If you’re not able to take them to a vet, check in your community and ask if anyone has a microchip reader you can borrow.
