Help and advice if you have found a pet
If you’ve come across an unfamiliar pet in your area, there are a number of steps you can take towards re-uniting it with its owner.
The approach to take is slightly different for cats and dogs.
Found a cat?
Internet
This website is a great place to start – have a look though the lost cats in your area, and if you can’t already see the cat listed, take a few minutes to register it as a lost pet. If you can take a few photos to include, so much the better.
Paper collar
Try to get a paper collar on to the cat, with the message ‘Is this your cat? Please phone (insert your own phone number)’. Attach the collar with a small piece of sellotape (not all the way round – this is dangerous for the cat), and wait for the phone to ring. If you’ve not heard anything within a day or so, it’s more likely that the cat really is lost.
Local advertising
It’s usually free to pop a ‘found’ ad in your local shop window, or in a local newspaper – have a look for any ‘lost’ ads while you are there.
Vets
You can find your local vet at www.any-vet.co-uk. It’s worth checking with them to see whether they have been advised of any lost cats, and they can also scan for a microchip, which will confirm who the owner is very quickly. This is a free service, available at all vets.
Transporting the cat
If you do need to get the cat to a vet, either to be scanned, or to be treated if it has been injured, the safest way to do this is in a properly designed cat basket. If you don’t have one yourself, ask around friends and neighbours who have cats themselves, to see whether you can borrow one.
Rescue centres
If there isn’t a microchip, the next step is to contact a rescue centre that can either rehome or foster the cat while the owner is found. To find rescue centres in your area, visit www.catchat.org
Further advice?
If there is anything that you’d like to discuss about the cat you’ve found, we’re here from 9am – 9pm every day, and will be happy to help in whatever we can.
Found a dog?
Proceed with caution
Please approach any stray dog cautiously, and if you think there is a risk that you may be bitten, stay well clear. If you can get hold of the dog, you may be able to find information about the owner on a collar tag, if it has one. If it is safe to do so, take it inside or secure it in a safe place. If not, contact your local authority dog warden straight away.
Dog warden
Local authorities have a responsibility for stray dogs, and the local dog warden should always be the first port of call for anybody who has lost or found a dog. Please bear in mind that there is a legal requirement for the finder of a stray dog to either return the dog to its owner, or to contact the local authority for the area in which the dog was found. Your local dog warden will be able to collect the dog at no cost to the finder – find out about the dog warden in your area here. http://local.direct.gov.uk/LDGRedirect/index.jsp?LGSL=432&LGIL=8
Internet
This website is a great place to resource – have a look though the lost dogs in your area, and if you can’t already see it listed already, take a few minutes to register the dog you’ve found as lost. If you can take a few photos to include, so much the better.
Vets
You can find your local vet at www.any-vet.co-uk. It’s worth checking with them to see whether they have been advised of any lost dogs.
You may find it useful to look at our free advice videos for pet finders.
