COMMUNITY RESOURCES

LOST & FOUND

To report a lost or found animal, please fill out and submit this form to lostandfound@humanecobb.com.

 

IF YOU HAVE LOST A PET, YOUR FIRST RESPONSE MAY SAVE YOUR PET’S LIFE

  1. Immediately put up flyers at major intersections. As soon as possible, post them at veterinary clinics, boarding kennels, groomers, emergency veterinary clinics, and county shelters in the surrounding areas. Post the information on social media outlets such as Nextdoor and Facebook, and ask others to share it. Make sure your phone number is large enough on the flyers to be read by passing drivers. Keep it simple. Offer a reward (do not mention an amount) or state that the pet needs medication. Put flyers at every exit/entrance in nearby subdivisions. Make sure you know the rules for posting signs in the area, so they won’t be immediately removed. Ask stores that sell pet food and supplies to display your flyer. If your neighborhood has a community bulletin board, post the information there. Check your postings regularly and replace them if they have been removed or cannot be easily read. It is helpful if you date them. Be a good neighbor — remove the flyers when you find your pet. Post your pet’s information on social media platforms such as Facebook and Nextdoor, and to local lost/found groups such as:

 

 

Ask others to share your pet’s information with their friends and any other online lost/found groups they know of. Provide regular updates and “bumps” until your pet is found.

 

  1. Go to your county’s animal control shelter within 48 hours to look for your pet, and go back often. Visit surrounding county shelters too. Ask if they maintain a list of deceased pets and a list of stray pets being housed at clinics/foster groups for medical care. Also ask to check isolation areas. Injured animals, or pets that have bitten someone, might be quarantined there. Find out how long they hold strays so you will know how often you must go to check for your pet. Leave a flyer and/or fill out a Lost report. For Cobb County Animal Services information, call 770-499-4136. For other shelter numbers, search online for specific shelter listings and contact information.

 

  1. Notify the veterinarian who vaccinated your pet and your microchip company’s lost pet service.

 

  1. Call the Humane Society of Cobb County (770-428-LOST) to report your lost pet which will be recorded in our Lost/Found database. This service matches lost/found pets that are in homes. Someone might have found your pet and already called in a report. You can leave a voice mail message at any time; include your name and phone number, describe the pet (dog/cat, color, size, collar/tag/chip, special needs), and tell us when and where your pet was seen last. You can also email the information to lostandfound@humanecobb.com.

 

  1. Ask for help. Make sure your neighbors and postman have your phone number and a description of your missing pet. Ask your neighbors for permission to look around their property for your pet with a flashlight (eyes reflect the light) when it is quiet or dark. Look under bushes, in crawlspaces, under porches/decks, under cars (cats can hide in wheel wells and under the hood), in garages and sheds, and up in trees. Ask about work trucks that may have left doors open while on the job in the area. Call the companies to see if they found your pet. Ask anyone who feeds outdoor animals to watch for your pet.

 

  1. If you are pet sitting, call the owner immediately to find out about possible hiding places or places the pet may have been found before. The owner may return quickly and help find the pet.

 

  1. Pets come back to familiar scents. Place familiar items like a cat’s litter box, bedding, your shoes, etc. outside near the place your pet might return to if it picks up the scent in the wind. Keep a light on at night and provide a safe place with familiar scents for your pet to stay until you can find it. Check the safe place frequently. Frightened pets may return at night when things are quiet.

 

  1. Open a can of pet food and tap it with a kitchen knife or spoon (if your pet likes canned food), or shake a bag of dry food, while walking and calling your pet. Stop often and listen for faint responses.

 

  1. Dogs: If the dog escaped through an open gate, keep the gate open so it can re-enter. If you walk your dog often, concentrate on those areas where your dog is accustomed to being walked and where its scent is. A wild animal, thunder, or other anomaly may have frightened your pet out of its normal territory, so expand your search as far as possible.

 

  1. Cats: Cats will generally stay close to home and find a hiding spot. Put your cat’s litter box outside your door; sometimes they can pick up the smell of their box, which will draw them home.

 

 

IF YOU HAVE FOUND A PET, YOUR FIRST RESPONSE MAY REUNITE THE PET WITH ITS FAMILY

  1. Safety first! Never attempt to capture an animal that is showing signs of aggression! If it is showing aggression, call your local Animal Control or call 911.

 

  1. If you have the pet in your possession, keep it away from other pets in your home, and do not let children handle it. It may not be friendly toward other pets or children, or it may transmit disease to you, your child, or other pets. Use extreme caution! You do not know this animal or its temperament. If the circumstances allow and you are able to house it for a few days, you can take steps to try and find the owner.

 

  1. Put flyers up immediately (and watch for lost flyers), and post about the found animal on social media. Place flyers at major intersections nearby, and in veterinary clinics in the area. In subdivisions, put flyers at every exit/entrance. Make sure the phone number is large enough to see from the road. Keep it simple and do not include detailed information on it; you want anyone who attempts to claim the animal to be able to prove that they are the rightful owner by accurately describing distinguishing features such as sex, unusual markings, etc. Make sure you know the rules for posting signs in the area, so they won’t be immediately removed. If your neighborhood has a community bulletin board, post the information there. Check your postings regularly and replace them if they have been removed or cannot be easily read. It is helpful if you date them. Post the found animal’s information on social media platforms such as Facebook and Nextdoor, and to local lost/found groups such as:

 

 

  1. Check with neighbors, the postman, and local veterinarians. They may be familiar with a neighborhood pet that you are not.

 

  1. Call your county's humane society to file a found report (770-428-LOST), and list the pet in our Lost/Found database. This service matches lost/found pets that are in homes. The person who lost the pet may have already called in a report. You can leave a voice mail message at any time; include your name and phone number, describe the pet (dog/cat, color, size, collar/tag/chip, special needs), and tell us when and where the pet was found. You can also email the information to lostandfound@humanecobb.com.

 

  1. Report the found pet to your county’s animal control shelter and humane society as soon as possible. Also notify surrounding county shelters. Most animal control phone numbers can be found online. For Cobb County Animal Services information, call 770-499-4136. For other shelter numbers, search online for specific shelter listings and contact information.

 

  1. Take the pet to a veterinary clinic, humane society, or animal control shelter to have it scanned for a microchip. Call ahead to make sure they have a universal scanner that will identify different brands of chips. If the pet is microchipped, they will be able to give you the microchip company’s phone number to call and find out who the registered owner is.

 

  1. If you are unable to contain, keep, or care for a pet you have found while you search for the owner, the pet should be taken to the animal control facility in the county in which you found it. Every county is different, and policies may vary. You can also contact your local humane society for additional advice and resources. Keep flyers up in the area where the pet was found for several days, and refer calls to the place where you left the pet. Post about the found animal on social media as suggested above, making sure your posts include the contact information for the facility where the animal is located.

LOCATION & HOURS

We are located at:
148 S. Fairground St. SE
Marietta, GA 30060

770-428-LOST (5678)
By appointment only.

CONTACT US

Email: info@humanecobb.com
Phone: 770-428-LOST (5678)
Fax: 770-423-9386

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