Humane Society of West Texas

Because we do not have a shelter, the HSWT’s ability to take in found animals during a search for its owner is dependent on foster home openings. If you have found a dog or cat that you believe may belong to someone, here are some steps that you can take to help reunite the animal with its owner.

• Take the animal to the nearest veterinarian and have it scanned for a microchip.  This is generally free of charge and, if the animal has a chip, they should be able to access contact information for the owner.  This is why it is of utmost importance that you register your animal’s microchip once it has been administered.  If the chip is still registered to the shelter or vet that administered it, the process is significantly delayed.
• Place a Found ad in the Lubbock Avalanche Journal.  The AJ will run a three line Found ad for one week at no cost to you.  This can be done once every 30 days.
• Head to Lubbock Animal Services.  Without a chip or tags, an animal has only three days at the pound, so if you are at all able to keep the animal with you during the search, the owners will thank you.  Still, people head to the pound to look for their lost pets so make sure you go and fill out a Found card and check the Lost animal cards for one whose description matches.
• Post a found ad on Craigslist and www.ark4pets.com.  A picture is of course helpful, but you may also want to hold back some piece of knowledge (collar color, unique marking or scar, etc. ) and ask responders to describe the animal to claim, particularly if the animal is purebred.
• Place flyers around the neighborhood where the animal was found as well as at vet’s offices, groomers, boarding kennels.  You may also want to place them at coffee shops and local businesses in the area where the owners might come across them.
• Call the HSWT and other local shelters.  While we may not be able to house the animal during the search, we do often receive calls from owners whose animals have gone missing and we maintain a list of descriptions and contact information.  If we receive a call about a missing animal that matches your description, we can put you in contact with the caller.