Montgomery County, MD. Lost Pets

A variety of suggestions for finding your lost cat

2009-06-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

These suggestions were collected from various sources, so there's some duplication. Also, don't forget to read the general search tips in the April 20th post below.

Look at the other blog entries for suggestions on finding lost pets and their owners.

Make sure you know how to describe your cat on your flyers. Check your color description at http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinsiegel/sets/72157613406460972/

You may want to put a can of warmed up tuna on your front step as well as his/her food and water. This may bring your cat out of hiding. Also, be sure to put up signs everywhere (your neighborhood, the surrounding neighborhoods, vet offices, pet stores, grocery stores, gas stations, etc.) with your cat's picture if possible or a good description, a good contact number, and a reward if one is being offered. The important thing is to get the word out everywhere. Also be sure to check with your local and surrounding animal shelters every other day.

If you know the general vicinity of where your cat may be, you may want to borrow a live animal trap from your local animal control. When you get the trap, you can put the warmed up can of tuna in there at the opposite end of where the door is. When your cat goes into eat it, the door will automatically close behind him/her. Be sure to keep an eye on the trap at all times (at a distance) in case of predators, the heat, bad-intentioned people, catching another animal by mistake, etc.

Also be sure to check your house inside and out as well as around your neighbors' houses in case he/she got trapped somewhere. Ask your neighbors to check their garages, sheds, under their decks, etc., as many cats have been known to get trapped in garages, sheds, etc. Recently, "missing" cats have been found sleeping under the owner's bed, locked in a closet, and napping in the basement.

Don't give up. Look under brush and treed areas within 1 mile. She may be trapped and can't get home. She's probably trapped, esp. if wearing a non-break away collar or flea collar. Believe me, she is closer than you think!!!!!

Also, a good Samaritan may have picked her up and transported her to their local shelter, which may be in surrounding counties! Visit all surrounding shelters for weeks, even months!

Check all nearby house renovations, broken windows or doors that she could have run into and then gotten stuck in behind by mistake to stay warm and dry (or if scared). She may be nearby (even trapped in your own house) but is scared and you can't hear her as well. This happened to me. He went into a broken window in the row house next door (into the basement boiler room) and the door was shut behind him.

Put his/her litterbox outside. If they are indoor cats and not used to or have never been outside, it is easy for them to get lost; however, they can smell very well, and it has been known to bring a lost kitty home.

It is always breeding season, and if your non-fixed cat has gotten out, they can and will travel for days and miles to breed. You might have to increase your search radius.

Please don't forget to read the general search tips - it's extremely important that you contact the shelter (and follow other search tips) as soon as possible:
http://mcmdlostpets.blogspot.com/2009/04/montgomery-county-md-lost-pets.html

What color is that cat?

2009-05-29T04:50:00.000-07:00

If you lose or find a cat, it's important that you describe it correctly in your flyers and reports.

At this webpage is an easy-to-use guide to coat color in cats:
Cat Colors!

Select the cat that looks the most like yours and click on or mouse over the photo. In the caption you will see the name(s) of that color in order of preference.

Advanced search tips for finding lost dogs

2009-05-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

(For basic search tips, go to the first post in this blog.)

The basic approach to catching a scared lost dog is trapping it. Most super shy dogs, especially those without any bond to any one person or a home they know to return to, aren't catchable by people--these dogs will likely run away from anyone they see, so it's not like we can just search the woods, find the dog, and grab it. So--we use feeding stations to keep the dog in one area. If a dog has food, there is no reason to move to another area. If we don't put out food, the dog may go in search of it--and potentially move outside of the area where we've flyered, and we risk losing the dog.

You need to set up a blog and a sighting map. If you've had no sightings, you should hire a tracker to help you in narrowing down where to search. We recommend Sam with Pure Gold Pet Trackers: http://www.puregoldpettrackers.com/

You'll need to set up feeding stations. Put food at the last known location of the dog--and then get Sam out to track the dog for you and help you determine where else to set up feeding stations. Put wet cat food on top of it (cat food is stinkier than dog food). When you choose your station locations, you want to find a flat place, along with a tree or fence (so we can eventually replace the feeding stations with traps, and chain the traps up.) You also want your stations to be as close to where you saw your dog as possible. If your dog doesn't have food, it will wander in search of it. To keep in one area, you need to put down food and then have folks check the stations every day, preferably twice a day. You want to put food at the site from where the dog escaped, too--even if the dog hasn't been seen there in several days or weeks.

Monitor those morning and evening. We're looking to see if the food has been eaten, if there are any discernible tracks at the feeding station location, and whether we can ID the dog on the motion-sensor camera. As long as the feeding stations are being eaten and we're getting sighting calls in the same area, we're in good shape. We then put out a trap and set up a monitoring schedule for the trap--especially in super cold temperatures. We need permission to place the trap on private property and are not allowed to place it on public property. The traps are about $400, so we don't want to lose it. We chain it to a tree or something. We will likely catch raccoons or cats by mistake. When we set up feeding stations, we want to set them up with trapping in mind--so near a tree, in a secluded area.

Once you have a trap, we need someone to go and get the trap, and then a few people need to learn how to set it up. Even though you aren't ready to trap now, you may want to start working on acquiring a trap or two, since it can take some doing. You'll need tarps and bike chains and locks for each trap.

For flyering, you'll need to coordinate the volunteers. Whoever coordinates on-site should print out the sighting map for each volunteer, and assign them a specific area to flyer. You'll want to find out which streets were flyered, and put that on the map, too. When folks flyer, you want about every-other lamp post done, and all flyers need to go up in plastic sheet protectors (opening at bottom) or zip lock bags. 500-1,000 flyers in the area is a good start. Again, you should have Sam come out to run a track and help you determien where you should target your flyering.

For sightings, ask each caller to ID the dog with non-leading questions--we want size and color descriptions, as well as what condition the dog appears to be in (running, walking, limping, skinny, etc.). We want to know if the caller has seen the dog before, and what time and day the caller saw the dog. Lastly, we want to know if the caller can help us by allowing us to set up a feeding station on their property, monitoring it, and allowing us to maybe place a trap there in the future (which means folks on and off their property regularly).

For publicity, draft a press release. It needs to get posted on a website, and then linked to the blog. This gives an air of legitimacy and is handy when asking places for permission to trap. Send the press release out to the area media and handle follow-up calls. You need someone to research area listservs and home-owner associations and then post about the dog, with the flyer and press release attached, to all the area listservs and neighborhood associations. In many parts of Montgomery County I have already established a network of listservs and volunteers for email notification - ask me about that. Develop an email list of all area schools and businesses, and email them the same information--asking them to post the flyer.

You'll also want to set up the monitoring schedule for the feeding stations. Please tell all volunteers NOT TO CHASE if they see the dog, but rather to sit down and face away from the dog.

Compiled by Robin, Daphne, and Irene

Sample blogs and maps of recent searches:

http://findlew.blogspot.com/
http://findberdina.wordpress.com/
http://www.helpfindmidnight.blogspot.com/
http://www.findtasha.blogspot.com/
http://www.findjohn.blogspot.com/

If you find a pet and don't know whose it is

2009-04-25T05:28:00.000-07:00

If you find a pet in Montgomery County, please look carefully at any collar and tags. If you can make out the information on ID tags, licenses, or rabies tags, you should be able to trace them to the owner. If you need help with this, feel free to email me.

You can always take it to the shelter in Rockville, or if you need it picked up, call them at 240-773-5960. If the owners aren't found, there is a very good chance it will be adopted.

(For information on finding your lost pet, go to the previous post on this blog: http://mcmdlostpets.blogspot.com/2009/04/montgomery-county-md-lost-pets.html.)

If you would like to hold onto the pet until the owners can be found:

First thing you should do if you find a pet anywhere: take it to your vet (or nearest animal shelter) and have it scanned for a microchip. If it has a chip, you can call the registry and find out to whom it is registered. The vet or shelter can tell you how to do this. Staff can also help you describe the pet for your found report, or the shelter can take the pet if you prefer not to hold onto it.

If you find a pet in or near Montgomery County, please be sure to file a report with the county shelter (the Montgomery County Humane Society) right away. Lost reports from all over the county and beyond are filed with the shelter every day, and the owner of your foundling might be but a phone call away. Call them at 240-773-5960 to register your found report. Occasionally there are waits on the telephone line and if you encounter this you can go to their website at http://www.mchumane.org/ and click on Programs and Services>Lost & Found Animals>File a Lost and Found Report. If the forms aren't working, use the email address to send in your report: mchs@mchumane.org . When they receive your report they will search lost reports already on file, and contact you if they have a match.

If it is convenient for you, visit the shelter to look at the lost reports. Shelter staff will usually have matched your found report with a lost report if they can, but often you who have seen the pet will be better able to recognize the owner's description.

If you have found a pet in or near Ann Arundel or PG County, you can file a found report:

in AA County: http://www.aacounty.org/AnimalControl/Found_Pets/Found_Form.cfm
Browse lost reports in AA County: http://www.aacounty.org/AnimalControl/Lost_Pets/Lost.cfm

* If you live in or near PG County, go to: http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/der/amg/
* If you live in or near Howard County, go to: http://www.co.ho.md.us/Police/animalcontrol.htm or call 410-313-2780.
* For Carroll County Animal Control - 410-848-4810
* For Frederick County Animal Control - 301-600-1546

* If you live in DC or near the DC line, call (202)576-6664 and go to http://support.washhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lostfoundpet

For other jurisdictions, go to:
http://www.delmarweb.com/maryland/petshelters.html

To file and search for other reports online, go to:

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/laf/
Craig's List (you might need to check the pets page too: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/pet/)

http://commerce.washingtonpost.com/cgi-bin/WPclass/search/pets/clsAdSearch.cgi?TEXT=&PHOTOCODE=&VERTICAL=pets&CLASSES=+%5B601+602%5D&CLASSCODE=%5B601+602%5D&PHOTOSORT=on
Post ads online

http://www.petfinder.com/classifieds/searchclassified.cgi?state=MD&order=created+DESC&keyword=&type=L
Petfinder lost ads

http://www.petfinder.com/classifieds/searchclassified.cgi?state=MD&order=created+DESC&keyword=&type=F
Petfinder found ads

If you have found a bird, check http://www.birdhotline.com/

Call or send photo posters to all the vets and pet shops in your area and beyond. Also, post plenty of flyers, talk to your mail and paper carriers, and post on a neighborhood listserv (if you have one).

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THOSE WHO LOSE A PET: If you lose a pet, you can follow what's at the shelter on a daily basis by going to:

http://www.petharbor.com/

Type in your zip code, click FIND SHELTERS, check Montgomery County Animal Control & Humane Society (and PG County if appropriate) and click SEARCH. Then click I LOST MY PET and the species (dog, cat, other) and then click SEARCH NOW and you will see a display of all the cats/dogs/others currently at the shelter.

This is a great way to keep track of what's been taken in. Pets found DOA and those at the vet will not appear, so having a lost report and visiting the shelter every few days is very important. Also, Pet Harbor doesn't display the found location, so if you see something you think is your lost pet, make a note of the A# and call the shelter to find out where it was found.

If you found a pet in PG County, follow the Pet Harbor directions above, but click on "Prince Georges County Animal Management Division".

For more ideas, go to
http://www.metropets.org/How2help/losttips.php
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-a-Lost-Dog
http://www.hart90.org/Missing/LostPetInfo.aspx
http://www.puregoldpettrackers.com/
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/finding_a_lost_pet.html
Displaced cat behavior: http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/recovery-lostcat.php
Displaced dog behavior: http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/recovery-lostdog.php

FYI for anyone with a pet, it's always advisable to have your pets microchipped, even those you don't think will ever get loose, so that the shelter can immediately know who owns them should they ever wind up there. If they wear their microchip ID tag, anyone who finds them can also notify the registry and the owners will be called.

(updated 8/6/11)

If you lose a pet in or near Montgomery County

2009-04-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

(updated 8/6/11)

The animal shelter for Montgomery County, Maryland, is located in Rockville - location and hours are at the bottom of this blog. Animals found at large in the county should be taken only to that shelter, not to shelters outside the county where the owners may not be able to find them.

I am a retiree and volunteer for the shelter. Among other efforts, I reach out to the community via neighborhood listservs, vets, groomers, and volunteers, to try to locate the owners of stray pets at the shelter. In addition, I monitor internet lists and advertising sites and attempt to match lost and found reports.

If you lose a pet in Montgomery County, your first step should be filing a lost report with the shelter. Likewise, if you find a pet, you should notify the shelter right away so that the owners can know you have their pet when they call.

In the event that your lost pet has not been taken to - or reported to - the shelter, speed is of the essence as you initiate your search. Here is a list of actions you should take, and some helpful websites you will want to consult:

* If your pet has a Home Again microchip, make an immediate call to them at 1-888-466-3242. They will notify your vet, local clinics and shelters, and local pet rescuers. This takes time, though, so don't delay in following these procedures:

* If you lose a pet in or near Montgomery County, please be sure to file a report with the county shelter right away. Strays from all over the county and beyond are taken to the shelter every day, by Animal Control as well as members of the public. You should visit the shelter as soon as possible, but if you can't go right away, call them at 240-773-5960 to register your lost report. There are generally waits on the telephone line and if you encounter this you can go to their website at http://www.mchumane.org/ and click on "Lost & Found." You'll see the links to the lost and found forms, or you can email them a lost report and it will be handled in the same way. **NOTE** These electronic reports are not collected every day, so please be sure to back up your electronic lost report with a phone call as soon as you can.**

When they process your lost report they will search the found reports already on file (and the animals at the shelter), and contact you if they have a match. Shelter staff will match your lost report with a found report (or a pet at the shelter) if they can, but you, the owner of the pet, will always be better able to recognize your own pet, so try to visit the shelter as often as you can during the business hours listed on their website.

MCHS holds stray animals for roughly 6 business days and then they are put up for adoption.

* VERY IMPORTANT if you lose a pet, you can follow what's at the shelter on a daily basis by going to:

http://www.petharbor.com/

Type in your zip code, click FIND SHELTERS (or hit ENTER or RETURN on your keyboard), check "Montgomery County Animal Control & Humane Society: Rockville, MD" (and Prince Georges County if your pet could have ended up there) and click SEARCH. Then click I LOST MY PET and the species (dog, cat, other - don't click any other choices or you may miss your pet) and then click USE THIS SHELTER LIST and you will see a display of information for all the cats/dogs/others currently at the shelter. **NOTE: Please visit the shelter as soon as possible to look at the animals and make sure your report is in the correct binder. There is often a delay in posting photographs of animals at the shelter. ** .

This is a great way to keep track of what's been taken in. Pets found DOA and those at the vet will not appear, so having a lost report and visiting the shelter every few days is very important. Also, Pet Harbor doesn't display the found location, so if you see something you think is your lost pet, make a note of the A# and call the shelter to find out where it was found.

Shortcuts: http://tinyurl.com/2vwpuf for found cats at MCHS and http://tinyurl.com/6ka6r3 for found dogs at MCHS.

* Put your posters up in community gathering-places, and along the road in high-traffic areas in your neighborhood and beyond. Consider obtaining a disposable cell phone so that you don't have to post your personal phone number on your lost posters.

* If you've had no sightings, you should hire a tracker to help you in narrowing down where to search. We recommend Sam with Pure Gold Pet Trackers: http://www.puregoldpettrackers.com/

* Notify your neighborhood listserv, if you have one.

* Remember, pets can travel great distances when they are stressed. Be prepared to expand your search:

* If you live in or near PG County, go to: http://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov/der/amg/
* If you live in or near Howard County, go to: http://www.co.ho.md.us/Police/animalcontrol.htm or call 410-313-2780.
* For Carroll County Animal Control - 410-848-4810
* For Frederick County Animal Control - 301-600-1546

* If you live in DC or near the DC line, call (202)576-6664 and go to http://support.washhumane.org/site/PageServer?pagename=lostfoundpet

* If you don't find your lost pet within a couple of days, start checking all the area shelters. Some list their strays on Pet Harbor, others you will have to call or visit. Just recently, a dog lost in Springfield VA was taken to the shelter in Rockville. Most of the DC-area shelters are listed at:
http://www.metropets.org/YellowPages/Orgs/DC.php
http://www.metropets.org/YellowPages/Orgs/MD.php and
http://www.metropets.org/YellowPages/Orgs/VA.php

*To file and search for other reports online, go to:

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/laf/
Craig's List (you might need to check the pets page too: http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/pet/)

http://commerce.washingtonpost.com/cgi-bin/WPclass/search/pets/clsAdSearch.cgi?TEXT=&PHOTOCODE=&VERTICAL=pets&CLASSES=+%5B601+602%5D&CLASSCODE=%5B601+602%5D&PHOTOSORT=on
Post ads online

http://www.petfinder.com/classifieds/searchclassified.cgi?state=MD&order=created+DESC&keyword=&type=L
Petfinder lost ads

http://www.petfinder.com/classifieds/searchclassified.cgi?state=MD&order=created+DESC&keyword=&type=F
Petfinder found ads

* If you have lost a bird, go to http://www.birdhotline.com/

Call or send photo posters to all the vets and pet shops in your area and beyond. Also, post plenty of flyers, talk to your mail and paper carriers, and post on a neighborhood listserv (if you have one).

For more ideas, go to
http://www.metropets.org/How2help/losttips.php
http://www.wikihow.com/Find-a-Lost-Dog
http://www.hart90.org/Missing/LostPetInfo.aspx
http://www.puregoldpettrackers.com/
http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/finding_a_lost_pet.html
Displaced cat behavior: http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/recovery-lostcat.php
Displaced dog behavior: http://www.missingpetpartnership.org/recovery-lostdog.php

* If you're serious about searching for your lost pet, gather volunteers, start a blog (see the sample links on the left side of the blog http://mcmdlostpets.blogspot.com/), and go public with your search dates, sightings, and progress reports. You will find help, and the odds will improve that you will find your pet.

FYI for anyone with a pet, it's always advisable to have your pets microchipped, even those you don't think will ever get loose, so that the shelter can immediately know who owns them should they ever wind up there. If they wear their microchip ID tag, anyone who finds them can also notify the registry and the owners will be called.