Lost & Found Pets

I would like to start with some information I don't think a lot of people are aware of. The Wisconsin stray hold was changed from a 7 day hold to a 4 day hold back in 2016. With that being said, start looking for your pet as soon as you notice them missing. If you first wait for them to come home, their stray hold time could be up before you get into full search mode. The pet could be adopted out or transferred to another facility making your search even more difficult.

Here are some lost pet recommendations from Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC):

•  Report your lost pet immediately. Contact your local animal control, dog catcher, police department and humane society.
• Go in person to look for your pet. Your description may differ from the facility’s interpretation and/or the pet’s current condition.
• Post on social media. This is especially helpful with a recent photo. There are many good tips on Lost Dogs/Cats of Wisconsin.
• Post flyers or posters in your neighborhood. These should include the pet’s photo, a brief description and a phone number. Someone in the neighborhood may have brought your pet inside and not know where they belong. Let your neighbors know that your pet is missing so they can help watch for them. Some pets may hide in an open garage or shed and become locked in. Some cats are especially good at hiding and will watch you walk right by them while calling their name.
• Contact neighboring facilities. Some people live on the boarders of 2-3 different counties. Contact each of these county’s Humane Societies/Animal Control facilities. You never know which direction the pet will travel. Also, some people will find a lost pet and take it with them from one area to another. I've already gotten a stray dog in Shawano that was missing from Illinois.

Other Tips:

• Familiarize yourself with who to contact if your pet becomes lost. Humane society, dog catcher, PD, animal control.
• Keep visible and current ID tags. Include an email and a phone number. If someone finds your pet, they can contact you first. If your pet loses tags easily, you may want to get a flat tag to rivet to the collar, or at the very least, take a permanent marker and write your number on their collar.
• Microchips are only as good as the information registered. Make sure to register it or it will lead nowhere! If you move, change phone numbers, or re-home your pet, that information needs to be updated. Any staff with a stray pet that has a microchip jumps for joy. It is very disappointing to not be able to trace it back to its owner. 

Found Pets:

• Look for ID and call the owner. Have the pet scanned for a microchip at a vet clinic, animal control facility or a humane society as soon as possible.
• Call your local animal control or humane society. The owner may have called and left a lost pet listing.
• If you cannot reunite the pet with the owner, please bring the pet to the humane society or animal control. State law states that all strays to be brought to the animal control facility for your area.

These are just a few tips to get you started. I hope you will never need them. Follow our lost pet Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/GreenBayAreaLostPets/ for Lost and Found pet postings in our area.