What to Do If You've Lost a Pet in Atlanta, GA

Lost and Found: What To Do If You've Lost A Pet In Atlanta, Georgia

If you've ever lost a pet, you've probably felt helpless and frustrated. The sad fact is that most people who lose their pet will never see them again, especially if the pet wasn't wearing identification. Without ID tags, only two percent of cats and 16 percent of dogs ever see their owners again. Despite this statistic, there are steps you can take to increase the odds that you will see your beloved pet again.

When I lost my cat, Celeste shortly after moving to a new home, I took little comfort in the fact that she was wearing an ID and Rabies tags, and I immediately visited local animal shelters. When you first realize your pet is lost, visit the shelters in your area. You can find a list of shelters located in the metro Atlanta area by going to: www.spotsociety.org/directionsmain.htm. This site lists shelter phone numbers, addresses and website addresses. Some area shelters put up-to-date photos of animals in their facility on a daily basis, so you can use the web addresses to look for pictures of your pet too.

Some pet owners make the mistake of thinking their pet will find its way back home (which rarely happens), and they wait three-to-five days before searching for them. By that time, their pet may already be past the stray waiting period in an animal shelter and may have been euthanized. Visit shelters as soon as you notice your pets missing.

Besides looking at shelter websites and visiting local animal shelters in person, you should put flyers on shelter bulletin boards. As depressing as shelter visits are, you should visit shelters at least once every five days. Be sure you ask to check their isolation areas and also ask employees if your pet is on their "dead list."

Another step I took to find my cat was to run a free "Lost Pet" ad in the Atlanta Journal & Constitution (404-577-5772). You may also want to run ads in other local newspapers and neighborhood newsletters. Also check the "Found Pet" ads in the papers daily.