Have
you lost your pet? Have you found a pet?
Lost and Found
NYCACC Lost and Found
pets911
petfinder.com
missingpets.com
Follow these guidelines. If your pet
is not recovered immediately, call 311 and ask for
the number of the ACC. Begin a Petfinders search
immediately within a 60 mile radius of where you lost
your pet within the hour.
Most pets are recovered, it's important that you follow
our recommendations in the sequence they are presented.
- DO NOT GIVE UP HOPE!
First, think about the tags your pet was wearing, and
call the appropriate agencies. For example, if your
pet was wearing a tag with a shelter phone number,
call that shelter; if your pet was wearing a vaccination
tag , call the veterinarian that inoculated your pet;
if you are a member of Petfinders, call their 24-hour
member phone number. Inform the respective agencies
that your pet is missing, and alert them to the possibility
that they may get a phone call from someone that has
found the pet.
Next, call the police precincts in your area and local
animal shelter. You can get the numbers by clicking
on the Local Shelter and Mayor's Alliance links. Give
the shelter a full description of your pet. For a list
of Brooklyn Police Precints click here.
Then, prepare a flyer giving only a physical description
of your pet. Do not give the name of the pet (it may
not answer to its name when it is lost and frightened);
do not give any behavioral information (behavior changes
dramatically when a pet is lost); do not give exact
location lost (it is not a question of how far your
pet will travel on its own -- what often happens is
that people who find a stray take it to their home
quite a distance away, and then they either put it
out again or it gets out. Your pet can be anywhere!);
do not give information about a collar (40% of the
pets we recover are lost with a collar
and are found with no collar or a different one).
A
great place to make a free online poster can be found
by clicking here.
If you have a photo of your pet, try making one copy.
If the copy depicts your pet accurately, then use it.
If not, then using it can do more harm than good. You
may want to consider using a line drawing from a breed
book at your local library or bookstore instead. It
often photocopies better than a photo.
Write the word REWARD on top
of the flyer, in large print, and your phone number
on the bottom. Giving an amount of reward will usually
get you some crank calls from people who do not have
your pet, but it does attract more people to the
flyer. If you think your pet was stolen, do not indicate
that because the person a stolen pet is most often
recovered from, had nothing to do with theft, and
you will scare them off. DO NOT even say, "no
questions asked."
Make a list, using the yellow pages of all veterinarians,
animal hospitals, pet shops, grooming shops, and any
other facilities listed under pets. Combine the municipal
section of the white pages with the yellow pages to
get a comprehensive list of schools. Visit each facility,
carry your own roll of masking tape, and ask permission
to hang up a flyer. Whenever possible, do not leave
it for them to do. One flyer put up in one veterinary
office, will be seen by 30 to 40 animal owners a day
-- and it is animal owners who take in strays. In the
schools, post the flyers where the children will be
sure to see them. Children are very good at spotting
strayed pets (but horrible at catching them). By the
end of the first day, you should have posted at least
200 flyers.
As you travel, look for community bulletin boards
in shopping centers, churches, synagogues, or anywhere
else that you can post a notice of general interest.
Also put flyers on the streets at busy intersections
(you may want to check the legality of posting on public
property first).
Tomorrow morning, at sunrise, go to the location your
pet was lost with a pen and pad. Write down the company
name of services making deliveries at that hour. Some
examples are bread, milk and newspaper delivery services.
Call the dispatch offices for those companies, give
them a description of your pet and ask that they alert
their drivers. Most pets recovered while still on the
street, are found during the quiet early morning hours
and then hide when the tempo picks up. If possible,
follow up with a flyer.
After you have done a thorough job of hanging up the
posters,, follow up your earlier phone call with a
visit to the municipal shelter for your area. Go, even
if the shelter tells you that they do not have any
animals fitting the description of yours right now,
or that they will call you if one comes in, or even
that they did not pick up any strays since your pet
was lost - you must visit the facility. If you do not
visit the shelter, you are jeopardizing the life of
your pet.
Don't be discouraged! If you follow the suggestions
we have given you, there is every reason to believe
that your pet will be recovered. But it often takes
time, and almost always takes hard work and perseverance.
Top
Before you give up on your pet!
Websites on Animal Behavior:
www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/dog.htm
www.vetinfo.com/dencyclopedia/deindex
http://www.nycpetinfoline.com/
http://www.learn.petfinder.com/
http://www.doggiedoor.com/
http://www.apdt.com/
Dog
Owners' Guid:
Comprehensive Index
Training
Andrea Arden Dog Training
Monster
Mutt LLC and Walk This Way
Canine Behavior Therapy
New York Walk and Train
Top
Ten Books for Pet Owners by Association of Pet
Dog Trainers
Still thinking of giving up your pet?
If you believe you must find a new home for your companion
animal or the stray you found, then you must be prepared
to spend time and effort to do right by your friend.
You once made a commitment to care for this living,
breathing, feeling animal. It is worth every hour you
spend to find him or her a decent home. You will sleep
better at night.
Note: For Military Personnel
who have been deployed to active duty, there are
programs that can help you keep your pets! As mentioned
in Newsweek (March 14, 2005), Operation
Noble Foster matches called-up cat owners with
families willing to take in their pets.
Also mentioned in the same Newsweek article, the NetPets
Military Pets Foster Project offers the same
service for cats, dogs, birds, fish, and even horses.
Is There Any Way To Keep Him/Her
Below are many of the reasons
that people choose to give up their pet. Many of these do have solutions
and we encourage you to do everything possible to accommodate
your pet or the stray into your household. If
you need advice from us, please call us before you
are to the point of total frustration.
Rental problems
Find a situation that allows
pets. There are plenty of landlords who do allow
pets. Take the time to find them. And if you're worried
about a pet deposit, just think of this: what's worth
more to you, a few fast-food meals or the life of
a loyal friend?
Allergies
Visit your doctor to find out
if your allergies can be controlled through medication
and/or diet. If medications do not help you entirely,
then try these solutions: Allerpet/D, available in
many pet stores and by mail order. Apply to pet's
fur using washcloth once a week. It neutralizes the
dander. Nature's Miracle works in a similar manner.
Cats can be bathed in distilled water to remove their
allergens. Talk with your veterinarian about these
and other solutions to the allergy problem.
Unruly behavior
In most cases, the problems
are quite solvable if you make a little effort. An
animal is like a child. Set no boundaries, ignore
him, give her nothing to do, teach him nothing...the
child will not be well-adjusted and will not learn
to behave. It is up to you to teach your animal kindly
and consistently what is expected of him or her.
Take obedience classes (contact local adult education
centers and recreation centers, ask neighbors). Read
a book. Practice frequently, with kindness and consistency.
Most animals know how to act, we humans need to be
trained in how to interact with our animals. Do not
leave your items where your animal can eat them -
it isn't the cat's/dog's fault if he/she can't distinguish
between the blanket you have let him chew on in his
crate and your favorite clothing. Consistency is
the key. Positive reinforcement works faster than
negative reinforcement.
Destructive behavior/house soiling/barking
Does your dog destroy things
when you leave? Does your dog pee/poop in the house?
Use a crate when you leave the dog alone. Crates
have been proven over and over to be effective. A
crate is worth every penny. Some
people believe them to be cruel, but it is a naturally
tendency for your dog to have a small sleeping area,
a den. It is kinder than sending your dog away.
If your dog is barking excessively, you need obedience
instruction. Consider a trip to the vet. A
medical problem can result in sudden behavior changes.
Shows aggression
You need obedience training
and assistance. Remember: cats and dogs, like children,
learn what they are taught. What caused the behavior? Does someone in your
home rough-house with the animal? Play tug-of-war?
Yell at the animal? Yell at other people or act violent?
Does a child poke, tease or torment the animal? Or
do you basically ignore the animal unless you're scolding
or punishing him? Try to think about how your animal
learned aggressive behavior, and find out proper techniques
for eradicating it. If your pet is playing rough, you
must stop the play and walk away. Spend quality time
playing with the pet with appropriate toys. Consider
a trip to the vet. But remember, this aggression
did not appear overnight, so the solution will not
fix the problem immediately. You must give your
friend time to relearn appropriate behavior. A medical
problem can result in sudden behavior changes.
Litterbox accidents
How often do you clean out the box? Is the box in
a high traffic area? Have you added additional cats
without adding additional boxes? Have you changed brands
of litter? All of these might cause litterbox accidents.
If there have been no household changes to trigger
this behavior, a trip to the vet is in order. Your
cat may have feline lower urinary tract disease (cystitis)
and needs treatment immediately - do not delay - your
cat could die if he or she has this disease and is
not treated.
Claws furniture
Have you provided your cat with
appropriate surfaces (cardboard, sisal or carpeted
cat scratching boards, trees)? Do you trim your cat's
claws on a regular basis? The key is to make the
scratching post more interesting than furniture -
invest in good quality posts and treat the post with
catnip. Cover furniture with throws to protect them
during the training period. Use double-faced tape
on edges of things kitty climbs on or scratches.
Use furniture corner covers which can be bought at
pet stores. Is your furniture really worth more than
the life of a living, breathing, sentient being?
You Have Decided You Cannot Keep Him/Her
Do not expect someone else to
take responsibility for finding a solution--you have
to do it. Live up to the role of concerned caregiver.
Do the right thing by the animal. If that means
finding him/her a new home, do so carefully.
Contact the group/person from
whom you obtained pet. If you signed an adoption
contract, you may be bound to return the animal to
that group/person. If your animal is a purebred,
check telephone book or contact local animal control
agency for phone numbers of breed rescue groups in
your area.
For more information on finding your pet a home click
here.
How Can BAFN Help?
While BAFN is not a typical
shelter but rather a foster group, there are many
things we can do to help, but only if time is not
an issue.
We can list your animal at our Petfinder.com area.
Please send a detailed description and any photos you
may have of the pet to: help@brooklynanimalfosternetwork.org
Because BAFN is nonprofit and
all-volunteer, we can help only a fraction of the
deserving animals out there.
What if We Cannot Help?
If you resort to giving your dog/cat up to a Humane
Society, or other shelter, put your name down on the
adoption waiting list, to give your cat/dog an extra
chance and so at least you will be called before he
or she is euthanized. While some animals are lucky
enough to be adopted from shelters, don't delude yourself:
many are killed within days because there are too few
adopters for the thousands of worthy animals hoping
for a good home. And too many people are willing to
give up a loyal friend.
Your Decision
Before you make your decision--and it is your decision;
your animal has no say--think one last time what you
can do to maintain your friend, companion animal in
your home.
