Lost Dog Tips

Here are some tips to help get your dog back faster…

Immediately VISIT your local Animal Control/Humane Societies in an approximately 10-20 mile range to look and to file a LOST report. See the shelter list.

  • Take a flyer that has his/her pictures on it.
  • Keep visiting
  • Note: Indianapolis Animal Care Services at 2600 S. Harding St. has a stray hold of only 4 days.

Make flyers. Use the posting we have created for your pet to distribute. Not all folks use social media!

  • Knock on doors and give them to neighbors.
  • Share with local veterinarians.
  • Share with your mail/UPS/FedEx person.

If your dog is microchipped, update your information with the chip company ASAP! You can contact the place that put the chip in for the number/chip company info. See microchipping info.

Search your neighborhood.

  • Walk or drive slowly through your neighborhood
  • Make noise and call the pet’s name. Animals can hear you from very long distances.
  • Bring your pet’s favorite toy or treats and rattle them loudly while calling your pet’s name.
  • Stop regularly, be quiet, and listen for your pet. They may make a noise in reply.

Share his/her alert and ask others to share.

  • Share on your Facebook page.
  • Share on your neighborhood or town FB page or email list.
  • Share on nextdoor.com

Post lots of signs in the area and within a 2 mile radius, especially entrances/exits of your neighborhood. Neon signs are great!  We can provide sign examples if you need.  Clear contact paper or clear packaging tape can make them waterproof.

Share your lost pet info with your mail/UPS/FedEx person.They usually spend a lot of time in your neighborhood and often know where pets live.  Giving them a color flyer is even better so they know exactly what your dog looks like.

Don’t give up your search. Animals who have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners.

Lost Cat Tips

Here are some tips to get your cat back faster…

Immediately VISIT your local Animal Control/Humane Societies in an approximately 10 mile range to look and to file a LOST report.  See the shelter list.

  • Take a flyer that has his/her pictures on it.
  • Keep visiting regularly.

Make flyers. Use the posting we have created for your pet to distribute. Not all folks use social media!

  • Knock on doors and give them to neighbors. Ask them to check their property, including inside garages, sheds, and basements etc.
  • Share with local veterinarians.
  • Share with your mail/UPS/FedEx person.

If your cat is microchipped, update your information with the chip company ASAP!You can contact the place that put the chip in for the number/chip company info.  See microchipping info.

Place signs in your yard and several in the area.

  • Entrances and exits of neighborhoods are great places to post.
  • Post at public places with community boards such as grocery stores, pet stores, etc. Use clear contact paper or clear packing tape to help make signs waterproof.

Look under bushes, decks, piles of wood or junk, sheds, in basement window wells, etc.  Indoor kitties generally do not venture far when they get out- ¼ – 1/2 mi at most, usually no more than 6-8 houses away.

Place a cat carrier or box close to the house in a ‘sheltered’ area. Fill with clothing or a blanket with his/her scent and your scent. Note: if there are coyotes in your neighborhood, please do NOT put food out.

Share his/her alert and ask others to share.

  • Share on your Facebook page.
  • Share on your neighborhood or town FB page or email list.
  • Share on nextdoor.com

Share your lost pet info with your mail/UPS/FedEx person.They usually spend a lot of time in your neighborhood and often know where pets live.  Giving them a color flyer is even better so they know exactly what your dog looks like.

Don’t give up your search. Animals who have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners.

Found Pet Tips

Tips for getting a pet safely back to his/her family…

Have the pet scanned for a microchip.

  • A scan can be done at any vet office (including 24 clinics) , shelter or Petsmart FREE of charge and no appointment is needed.
  • If it is a weekend or after hours, an ER Vet can help.

Notify your local Animal Control/Humane Society to report the found pet within ASAP!  See the shelter list.

Notify local veterinarians.

Do not show a pet’s collar, harness, bandana or other special distinguishing features, such as being spayed/neutered or having mark in a special shape, so that an owner can be asked to identify them.

  • We cover collars and/or harnesses in all of our postings.
  • An owner should also be asked to provide pictures, adoption records, and/or vet records.  *This is important for the pet’s safety!*

Post lots of signs in the area or intersection where the pet was found, especially entrances/exits of your neighborhood. Neon signs really stand out! Not all people use social media so signs are important!

Share his/her alert and ask others to share.

  • Share on your Facebook page.
  • Share on your neighborhood or town FB page or email list.
  • Share on nextdoor.com

BEWARE of SCAMMERS!  There are dishonest people who peruse our site for dishonorable reasons.  Please DO NOT get involved with those who may dishonestly try to claim a pet as their own or offer to foster/buy the pet. These contacts are illegal. If you suspect this, please contact us with the information communicated and the phone number used.  Local PD authorities will be involved.

If there is ever a question about returning a pet to its owner, get Indianapolis Animal Care Services or your local Animal Control involved. Tell the potential owner that they can meet you at a shelter to claim their dog. (If you have any questions as to how to do this, let us know!)

Be aware of any local ordinances regarding the “rehoming of pets” – Marion County – Section 531-208 as us March 2, 2017– Lost and Stray Domestic Animals – states that:

“With the exception of the Humane Society of Indianapolis or other humane and/or breed rescue organizations recognized by the animal care services division, the finder will be considered the found animal’s owner for purposes of this chapter fourteen (14) continuous days after the found report was files with the animal care services division or its designee.”

  • Hamilton County thirty (30) continuous days
  • Madison County seven (7) days
  • Boone County seven (7) days
  • Hendricks County seven (7) days.

In simple terms, for Marion County, this means, “You cannot rehome the pet (unless the potential family understands that the owners have 14 days to claim it and that they must ACTIVELY try to find its family during that time).”

Partial list of county animal control, shelters, and stray hold information