Community Support Needed to Help Lost Pets Find Their Homes

Submitted by Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County.

The Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County is urging the community to take necessary steps to help increase the chances of a lost pet finding its way back home.

Thousands of lost pets are brought to the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County every year, which creates limited kennel space and reduces the chance of that lost pet being returned to its home.

Studies have shown that the majority of lost pets are found less than a mile from home, and most lost pets brought to shelters are never found.

“Bringing a lost animal to the shelter decreases their chance of being reunited with their family,” says Leah Turner, chief operating officer at the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County. “It also introduces the animal into a stressful environment where they may wait weeks or even months for a new home. If you find a lost pet, there are many ways you can help reunite it with its family without it ever having to come to the shelter.”

The shelter asks those who find a lost pet to take the following steps before bringing that animal to the shelter:

• Take the pet around your neighborhood and ask your neighbors if they recognize the animal. Post flyers of the animal throughout your community.
• Check to see if the pet has a tag or other contact information or take the pet to an animal hospital, pet store, or shelter to scan for a microchip.
• Look through and post on social media platforms such as Nextdoor and Facebook.

If a temporary home can not be provided for the lost pet until they are reunited, then an appointment can be made to bring the pet to the shelter. As of Dec. 21, the public must schedule an appointment to bring a lost pet to the shelter at: www.thehumanesociety.org/lost-pets/found-pet-appointment or call to schedule an appointment at 253-383-2733.

The shelter will accept lost or stray animals without an appointment in emergency circumstances (i.e., dangerous behavior or requiring immediate medical care).

For more information and resources regarding what to do if you have found or lost a pet, please visit the shelter’s website at: www.thehumanesociety.org/lost-pets.