What To Do When You Lost Your Pet

When your beloved dog or cat strays from home, it can be a traumatic experience for both of you. Here are some tips that we hope will help you find your pet.

1) Contact Local Animal Shelters / Animal Control Agencies

There are different shelters and facilities used for lost pets in the 34 cities throughout Orange County. When your pet is lost one of the most important places to start your search is the location your city cares for stray animals, and to make that step easier we have included the location each city uses to house and care for stray animals until they are redeemed or placed for adoption.

View Shelters By City List

*NOTE: If you have another city near you that uses a different shelter location make sure to search them as well, we suggest looking at all locations!

2) Search Your Neighborhood / Surrounding Areas And Contact Local Veterinarian Hospitals

Ask neighbors, letter carriers and delivery people if they have seen your pet. Hand out a recent photograph of your pet and information on how you can be reached if your pet is found.

3) Broadcast And Advertise With Posters

Post notices at grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, traffic intersections, pet supply stores and other locations. Also, place advertisements in newspapers and with radio stations. Include your pet’s sex, age, weight, breed, color and any special markings. When describing your pet, leave out one identifying characteristic and ask the person who finds your pet to describe it.

4) Use The Internet And Social Media To Your Advantage

A lot of people within the community may find an animal and just post on one website or neighborhood group. As pet owners, if our animal is lost it’s our job to SEARCH IN AND POST TO as many areas of the internet in order to increase the chances of being reunited with our pet. Below is a list of several websites and community pages we STRONGLY SUGGEST you not only search, but also post your pet with a clear and recent image of your pet with your phone number and email address connected to your mobile phone for responsive feedback.

Community/Neighborhood Websites:

craigslist lost/found
craigslist pets
nextdoor.com
facebook lost and found groups
*NOTE: Make sure to also search local neighborhood/city groups available in your area (i.e. Tustin Buzz, Irvine Community Forum, etc.). Type in your city/neighborhood in the ‘Groups’ option in a FaceBook search and see if a neighbor may have posted the pet as found.

Lost Pet Websites:

pawboost.com
fidofinder.com
lostmydoggie.com
findingrover.com
pawmaw.com
petfbi.org
lostmykitty.com
tabbytracker.com

But Be Careful And Wary Of Deceptive “Pet Recovery” Scams

When talking to a stranger who claims to have found your pet, ask him to describe the pet thoroughly before you offer any information. If he does not include the identifying characteristic you left out of the advertisements, he may not really have your pet. Be particularly wary of people who insist that you give or wire them money for the return of your pet.

Most Importantly, Don’t Give Up Your Search!

Animals who have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners.

A pet—even an indoor pet—has a better chance of being returned if she always wears a collar and an ID tag with your name, address and telephone number. Ask your local animal shelter or veterinarian if permanent methods of identification (such as microchips) are available in your area.

Shelters Used By Orange County Cities / Unincorporated Areas

Aliso Viejo | Anaheim | Brea | Buena Park | Costa Mesa | Cypress | Dana Point | Fountain Valley | Fullerton | Garden Grove | Huntington Beach | Irvine | La Habra | La Palma | Laguna Beach | Laguna Hills | Laguna Niguel | Laguna Woods | Lake Forest | Los Alamitos | Mission Viejo | Newport Beach | Orange | Placentia | Rancho Santa Margarita | San Clemente | San Juan Capistrano | Santa Ana | Seal Beach | Stanton | Tustin | Villa Park | Westminster | Yorba Linda | Unincorporated Areas