How to Find Your Missing Pet


Is your cat lost? See photos of lost cats here.

Is your rabbit lost? See photos of lost rabbits here.

The loss of a pet is upsetting and stressful. We have prepared the following suggestions to help you find your missing friend. Please take a few minutes to read them.

• Come to The Marin Humane Society in person as soon as possible. Visit within five days of losing your pet and come at least twice a week until your pet is found.
  
  
• Return to look at least twice a week or as often as possible. Stray animals sometimes arrive weeks or months after they first disappear. We are required to hold stray animals for six days, although we try to hold them longer.
  
  
• An Animal Care Technician will assist you in looking through our stray, adoption, isolation and quarantine kennels. Collars and tags are easily lost and you are the only one who can positively identify your pet.
  
  
• A Customer Care Technician will assist you in looking through the Found and At Vet/DOA books at our front counter.
  
  
• Please file a lost report in the Lost Book at The Marin Humane Society. Update the report whenever you visit the shelter and place it in the front of the Lost Book to keep it current.
  
  
• We advise you to check all neighboring animal shelters as soon as possible. Your pet can run fast and far. When pets are found, people often take them to the shelter nearest their home.
  
  
• Please call our lost animal recording every night after 6 p.m. The recording is made daily and only includes animals who were brought in during the previous 48 hours.
  
  Unfortunately, it is NOT a complete listing of all animals in the shelter. The number is (415) 883-4621 – press 377 for lost dogs, 378 for lost cats and 379 for all other lost animals.
  
  
• Search for your companion animal. Canvass your neighborhood on foot, by car, during the day and at night. Look in garages, yards, basements, closets, under cars, in shrubbery, and at your neighbors' homes as well as your own.
  
  
• Call and whistle to your pet. She may be injured, frightened, trapped or unable to come to you. Hearing your voice may encourage your pet to answer you. Remain in one place long enough for your pet to find you after you call.
  
  
• Tell friends, neighbors, kids, babysitters, mail carriers, etc. that your pet is missing.
  
  
• Post Lost Pet notices on bulletin boards in stores, churches, libraries and around your neighborhood. Include the pet's name, description, a photograph, and your name, address and phone number.
  
  
• Advertise in local newspapers. Some run free Lost Pet columns, others will charge. Offer a reward, but do not specify the amount.
  
  
• Watch the Found Pet columns in the local newspapers.
  
  
• Contact local radio stations. Some may be willing to make an announcement for you.
  
  
• Contact breed clubs and specific rescue groups if your pet is a purebred. They may have information on your animals.

Remember

• Keep ID tags/license on your pet at all times and microchip your pet
  
  
• Keep your dog confined and walk him or her on a leash
  
  
• Train your pet to respond to your commands
  
  
• Be sure your current address and phone
  numbers are listed on all registration records

When filling out lost reports or writing a newspaper ad, remember to include the following:

• Pictures of your pet
  
  
• A description of what your pet was wearing (collar, etc.)
  
  
• A description of your pet's physical characteristics (breed, color, identifying marks, etc.)

When you find your pet, examine him or her thoroughly for hidden injuries or signs of illness.

You can download these lost pet notices to reproduce. You can fill out the lost report and fax or mail it to us. You will need Adobe Acrobat to view and print them.

Lost Dog - Lost Cat - Lost Report

Local Newspapers:

Coastal Post, (415) 868-1600
Gazette Classified, (415) 456-4151
Marin Independent Journal, (415) 883-8600
Marin Scope, (415) 332-3778
Novato Advance, (415) 892-1516
Pacific Sun, (415) 383-4500
Point Reyes Light, (415) 663-8404
Press Democrat, (707) 546-2020
San Francisco Chronicle, (415) 771-1111
Tiburon Ark, (415) 435-2652

Some Neighboring Animal Shelters:

North Bay

East Bay

Alameda Animal Shelter
1590 Fortman Way, Alameda, CA 94501
(510) 748-4585

San Francisco

San Francisco Animal Care and Control
1200 15th St., San Francisco, CA 94103
(415) 554-6364

Please notify us when you find your pet. We like happy endings, too!