Local animal agency professionals estimate that as many as 10,000 stray animals are turned in to Kentuckiana shelter facilities every year and thousands of them are lost family pets. Stray animals are typically held at a facility for five days. After that, they are either entered into pet adoption programs or are euthanized.

Be Prepared Before Your Pet Disappears!
The first step to getting your pet back is to be prepared before he or she wanders off. Here are some steps to take right now:
● Have a current photo of your pet.
● Develop an accurate physical description of your pet … what color, how big, how many pounds, identifying markings, etc
● Keep your pet’s license current. The tag number immediately identifies your pet and you.
● Have your pet micro-chipped. Area shelters routinely scan strays for this form of identification.

How To Recover Your Pet
● Produce a lost pet flyer. Include a recent photo of your pet and a complete description. Offer a reward. This information gets attention!
● Begin your search immediately throughout your entire neighborhood. Distribute flyers and talk to neighbors. Sometimes the person who found your pet is keeping it, hoping you will show up looking for your animal.
● Immediately take flyers to all local animal agencies and shelters. Ask to view animals that have been turned in and return every day or two to look again.
● Post a picture of your pet and relevant information on local websites including the Kentucky Humane Society. Check found pet listings daily.
● Post flyers at local businesses: veterinarian offices, groomers, trainers, pet and pet supply stores, groceries, schools, gas stations, schools, etc.
● Run a “lost” ad in the local paper with your pet’s complete description. Be sure to read the newspaper’s “found” ads every day.
● Do not give-up the search too quickly. Your dog or cat may have come to one of the shelters several weeks after you lost it. Some people keep a stray for a period of time, hoping you will show up before they turn the animal in.