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Lost and found pets
If you have lost your pet OR found a lost pet, act quickly! The first 24 hours can make all the difference in finding your pet or pet's owner.
- Call Manatee County Animal Welfare to report details at (941) 742-5933.
- Contact area shelters to file a report with them:
- Humane Society of Manatee County at (941) 747-8808 ext. 314
- Honor Animal Rescue at (941) 306-5863
- Contact Lost Pet Services, Inc. at (941) 900-8303. This 501(c)(3) nonprofit is dedicated to reuniting lost pets with their families in Manatee and Sarasota Counties. Visit their website at Lost and Found Pets 941
If you don't see your pet, keep looking! Pets end up in shelters sometimes weeks after they are lost so never stop looking. Keep in mind what some might call a "lab mix" you may call a "shepherd mix", so it is always best to visit shelters regularly and not just go on descriptions or website photos alone.
Tips for finding a lost pet
- Lost pets may hide in fear. Search all possible hiding places outside. Look under sheds, decks, houses, etc. For shy dogs and cats, set a humane trap near the point of escape.
- Most animals are found close to home. Talk to your neighbors and ask permission to search around their home. Put out food and water in hopes the dog or cat will return home for food.
- Call area shelters (see above) to make a report and/or to see if your pet has been impounded. Continue to call and visit them regularly.
- Place posters within a 2-mile radius from where the animal was lost and at busy intersections. Posters should be large and bright colors; be brief and create a visual image. Try: Lost, a photo and your number.
- Use social media. Post photos on Facebook, Craigslist, Pinterest, etc., along with information about where your pet was last seen.
- Ask around. Contact and leave a description with your mail carrier, newspaper carrier, garbage truck drivers, local landscapers.
Tips if you have found a pet
Call area animal shelters and report that you found a lost pet. Give a thorough description and you will be contacted if someone calls reporting a lost pet with the same description.
- Check with nearby residents. Knock on doors of homes near where you found the animal to ask if they know who the animal belongs to.
- Have the animal scanned for a microchip at any nearby veterinary office, Humane Society or Animal Welfare which may lead to the owner's information.
- Put up flyers in your neighborhood and surrounding areas to let the person looking know that you found their lost pet.
- Use social media. Post photos of the animal on Facebook, Craigslist, Nextdoor, etc., along with information about where you found it.
- Take the pet to a local shelter and turn it in as a stray if you find that no one has responded to these efforts after a few days.
- Ask for evidence of ownership if someone contacts you claiming to be the owner of the animal. Ask for a picture or have them identify specific information that only an owner would know. This could be an unusual feature, tattoo, or something that isn't visible in the picture.