Lost & Found

BEGIN LOOKING IMMEDIATELY! Assume your pet cannot find his way back to you or he would. The minute you think he's lost, he is! Don't waste precious time hoping he's all right. Collars and tags come off.

  1. CHECK THE NEIGHBORHOOD THOROUGHLY. Whistling, calling, walking, and driving are still the best first steps to find your pet. Be sure to walk or drive around at night. A pet who is frightened may hide during the day and become active at night. REMEMBER TO LISTEN WHEN YOU CALL. You may hear your pet whimpering if he is stuck somewhere.
  2. TALK TO NEIGHBORS, giving a description of your pet to as many as you can. The more "eyes" watching for your pet, the better. Neighborhood children can be especially helpful. Let your mail carrier & trash collector know about your missing pet; they cover a lot of territory.
  3. CHECK AT SCHOOL PLAYGROUNDS, CHURCHES, PARKS, SHOPPING CENTERS, and other places where people gather.
  4. CHECK WITH ANIMAL SHELTERS IN YOUR COUNTY. Leave a complete description of your pet at each shelter. Visit Hillsborough County Animal Services twice weekly. They receive many animals each day. Only you know exactly what your pet looks like. Call weekly to update your report.
  5. MAKE FLYERS with a photo of your pet and home/work phone numbers and post where permitted. Leave them at veterinary clinics, groceries, laundromats, pet stores, grooming parlors, & service stations in your neighborhood. Pass them out to neighbors, to newspaper carriers and to other delivery people who service your area.
  6. ADVERTISE in local newspapers. Also, watch the "Found pet" ads, and respond to any that may possibly be your pet. After a week of wandering, your white poodle may look like a "gray mixed breed." Contact local radio or TV stations that broadcast lost pet reports.

ABOVE ALL, DON'T GIVE UP. You should continue searching a minimum of eight weeks! Your pet may wander or may be kept by someone for some time before being turned in. (Shelters say people have turned in pets they found six months earlier!) Keep your reports updated weekly. Keep your flyers posted. Your pet is out there ... somewhere ... depending on you to find him!

Search Pet Harbor's Lost Pet On-line Database for your missing pet.

Before using Pet Harbor's Lost Pet On-line Database to search for your missing pet please note the following: For best search results when using the Pet Harbor's Lost Pet On-line Database select ONLY from the "Animal Type" descriptive selections. All of the other listed descriptive selections are subject to interpretation and/or mistaken identification errors. Animal Services updates the files hourly so check often if you are looking for your missing pet.

The Humane Society of Tampa Bay recommends that all pets be microchipped.