FOUND A LOST OR STRAY?
If you have found a lost or stray animal and need assistance
Here is some helpful information:
Topics:
1) Lost pets who have a possible owner.
2) Strays who were abandon or born on the street (no possible owner).
3) What happens to these animals when brought to a city shelter?
4) Can the Rescue Train take in the animal I found?
5) I am an animal angel and I need help!
Volunteer Liz feeds the strays gaining their trust.
1) Lost pets:
A dog or cat that is wearing a tag or license hopefully has an owner looking for them. You should make an attempt to contact them. Accidents do happen: A child leaves the door open; workmen or gardeners forget to close the gate. Hopefully there is a loving owner out there searching for this animal.
-If the dog or cat has no collar but looks well fed, is in good physical condition, and easy to approach it could very well have an owner looking for him/her.
If an owner can not find it’s pet close to home, the fist place they will search is the animal shelters. Bringing an animal to a city shelter is hard. By brining an animal to the shelter, you will increase the chances of the owner finding his/her lost pet, but at the same time it’s a Catch 22 because 70% if the animals that enter these shelters are euthanised. Many well-meaning people keep lost pets at their homes, not realizing the animal's owner is looking for the stray pet at the animal shelter. If you choose to bring an animal to the shelter there is a way to keep track of the animal. (See tracking an animal in a city shelter below).
At the very least post a “Found” flyer at each of those shelters.
With overcrowding in the city shelters in the city of Los Angeles the shelters provide “found boards” at each of the six locations.
To find the shelter closest to you please visit LA Animal Services website: www.ci.la.ca.us/ANI/
Other helpful options:
-Have the animal scanned for a microchip. Many responsible pet owners have their animals micro chipped these days. In some cases an animal has lost/ or is not wearing his collar but might have a microchip. AVID is the most widely used chip but there are other brands out there. City shelters are supposed to scan each animal turned in for a chip. Most local vets will be sympathetic to your cause and scan the animal for free. If the animal is chipped you can contact the microchip company so they can contact the owner.
- Post “found flyers” where you found the animal and surrounding vet offices, or places the community would frequent. i.e. Supermarket and coffee shops.
-Check the lost and found section of your local papers. Post a “found add.”
-Ask neighbors in the area where you found the dog if anyone (including the neighborhood kids who can be very observant) if they recognize the animal.
Do you think you found the owner? Good work! But the sad situation is that many people answer “found pet” adds to sell animals to labs, or use for dog fighting or breeding. Suggestions to ensure you found the animal’s rightful owner:
1) Ask the person to describe the animal in detail and perhaps describe one thing about the animal that was omitted in your add.
2) Ask for Identification. Ask them for their full name and call back number. Hang up and tell them you will call them back to make sure the number is real. Ask to see their driver’s license.
3) Ask them who is their vet and confirm that information.
4) Ask them to bring a photo of the animal.
5) Observe the animal being reunited with its owner. Does the animal recognize the person?
6) Follow your instincts.
2) Strays who were abandon or born on the street (no possible owner):
Nothing is more heartbreaking than seeing that stray dog running through traffic with that fear in it’s eyes. Often the animal is too afraid or wild (feral) to be caught and can result in fear biting or car accidents so BE CAREFUL. Sometimes the animal cannot be caught until it has exhausted itself. Feral animals will need to be trapped. In this case get help from an experienced trapper and use a humane trap. You can e-mail us at info@therescuetrain.org for more resources on trapping.
3) What happens if I take a lost or stray pet to a city shelter?
The statistics aren’t good. 70% of all animals brought to our city shelters are euthanasied. So it’s a catch 22. You want to do the right thing and reunite a pet with its owner but not have the pet euthanized. Solutions track the animal, know the score.
How do I track if its owners at the city shelter recover the animal? When you drop an animal off it’s vitally important to get its IMPOUND NUMBER. Each animal is assigned a number. Without that number you cannot track the animal.
Know the score:
Lost or stray animals are held for 4 business days for their owners to reclaim them. During that time they are not available for adoption to the public. As soon as they become available for adoption they can also be euthanised at the shelter’s discretion. There are many factors that prompt euthanasia and sometimes it’s simply overcrowding. Don’t assume that because you think an animal is beautiful it will be adopted. Because odds are that it won’t. So put a hold on that animal and if no owner shows up and you want to save it’s life get it out of there.
What If I’m an Owner turning in my own pet because I can’t keep it any more? My pet will be adopted right? Sadly you will most likely be bringing your animal to its death. Under the Hayden Law the shelter is required to keep your animal for 4 business days and then it can euthanise it. Please visit our “Need to find a loving home page.” for other options. You owe to this animal you originally made a commitment to.
4) Can The Rescue Train take in the animal I found?
The odds are not good. Why you ask? We get 50-100 people a week asking us to take in animals. It’s just not possible with limited space and funds and the huge pet over population in Los Angeles. The majority of the animals in our care we rescue from the euthanasia list or we take off the streets ourselves to rehabilitate.
Let’s face it rescuing an animal can often be a disruption in our everyday lives. We have jobs, families, and pets of our own. But what rescuing an animal, saving its life and finding it a loving home can also is is one of the most rewarding experiences we will ever have. At the end of the road when we look back on our lives we will remember that act of kindness and how we made a difference.
So if you are an animal angel or Good Samaritan that is willing to take on a temporary foster or board a rescued animal the Rescue Train is here to support you to the best of our abilities.
Ways The Rescue Train Can Help:
1) Help find low cost (or in some cases free) spay/neuter, vaccines, vet care, grooming.
2) List your rescue as a Private Party listing on our website and Petfinders (the largest search engine for people looking to adopt a rescued pet).
3) Include you on adoption days and flyers.
4) Help you with training tips for issues that might arise.
5) Guide you with screening tips applications and contracts to help you find a safe loving home.
6) Let you know you are not alone in your effort.
5) I am an animal angel and I need help!
If you are an animal angel or Good Samaritan that is willing to take on a temporary foster or board a rescued animal the Rescue Train is here to support you to the best of our abilities. Visit our “Under Our Wing Program” to see how The Rescue Train Can help you.