Lost & Found Pets in Olympia

I wish there was one place where everyone looked for lost or found pets. It would make it easier to reunite pets with their people. Unfortunately, there isn’t just one spot where we gather, so we have to scatter information in many places.

Below are my suggestions if you’ve found a pet or if your pet goes missing.

Lost Pets

• Hit the streets. Take a leash or carrier with you so they won’t dash away from you before you get them home. Dogs are usually found within 2 miles of home. Cats who are spayed or neutered rarely travel more than 1/2 a mile or so from their home. If they’re indoor-only and they accidentally get outside, they’ll probably stay within 50 yards of their home. They might be so scared that they won’t respond when you call their name, so be sure to take a flashlight with you and look in every possible hiding place. Taking some aromatic wet food with you is another good way to encourage them to come to you.
• Put up posters in the area where the pet was lost. If you’ve moved recently, also put up posters near your last home. Effective signs are very big (so people driving by in cars can see them), include the word “Reward” in big letters, have tear-off tabs with contact info on them, and include a photo (if you don’t have a photo, copy one off the internet that looks similar). If you are in a bilingual community, put your sign in both languages. Put signs where the most people who either live, work, or regularly travel through the are will be slowing down: like intersections, entries to parks, where school children get off the bus or are dropped off in the morning, nearby grocery stores, coffee stands and pet supply stores.
• Place door hangers with your pet’s picture on all neighbors’ doors.  Click here for a printable door hanger.
• Go to Animal Services and fill out a “lost pet” form and also look through “found pet” forms. Take a recent photo of your dog or cat if you have one. If you’ve moved recently, also contact Animal Services near your last home (if it’s in a different region).
• Contact local animal rescues and shelters, such as Feline Friends and Concern for Animals.
• Post a free ad on Craigslist Olympia under “pets” and also under “lost & found“. If you’ve moved recently, also post to Craigslist for the area near your last home (if it’s in a different region).
• Call The Olympian at (360)754-5454 to place an ad in the classifieds. If you’ve moved recently, also contact newspapers near your last home (if it’s in a different region).
• Post info to these web sites:
  • Center for Lost Pets (free)
  • Lost Pet USA (free)
  • America’s National Lost & Found Pet Database (free)
  • FidoFinder (dogs only, free)
  • TabbyTracker (cats only, free)
  • Missing Pet Ads ($ price varies)
  • Flealess Market (free)
  • Lost & Found Pets Ebay classifieds (free)
  • ClassifiedAds.com (free)
  • Locanto Olympia (free)
  • Find Toto (phone calls to people in the area & web listing, $85+)
  • Pet Amber Alert (phone calls to people in the area & web listing, $60+)
  • Lost Pet Cards (postcards sent to people in the area, $550+)
• Post info to these Facebook pages
  • Your own page – a graphic like the one on the right is more likely to be shared than posting text-only.
  • Lost & Found Pets in Olympia, WA
  • Lost Found Pets WA
  • Lost Pet Found Pet
  • Lost Pets

Found Pets

• If you can keep the animal in your home, do so. This will make it easier to reunite him with his family. If you can not keep him in your home, take him to a shelter. Note: Consider taking them to a no-kill shelter. Animal Services only guarantees keeping found pets alive for 48 hours. After that, they place the animal for adoption or euthanize them.
• Take the animal to a veterinary office and ask them to scan for a microchip. (This is free.) If microchipped, the owners will be contacted immediately.
• Go to Animal Services and fill out a “found pet” form and also look through “lost pet” forms. (See tips below on making sure claims are from legitimate owners, not just people looking for a free animal.)
• Ask neighbors if they know of someone in the area who has lost their pet. Leave your name and contact info with them. (See tips below on making sure claims are from legitimate owners, not just people looking for a free animal.)
• Place door hangers with your pet’s picture on all neighbors’ doors.  Click here for a printable door hanger. (See tips below on making sure claims are from legitimate owners, not just people looking for a free animal.)
• Put up posters that include a photo, in the area where the pet was found. Take these posters to veterinarians and pet supply stores in the area. (See tips below on making sure claims are from legitimate owners, not just people looking for a free animal.)
• Post a free ad on Craigslist Olympia under “pets” and also under “lost & found“. (See tips below on making sure claims are from legitimate owners, not just people looking for a free animal.)
• Call The Olympian at (360)754-5454 to place an ad in the classifieds.  (See tips below on making sure claims are from legitimate owners, not just people looking for a free animal.)
• Post info to the web sites listed above. (Posting “found” ads is usually free). (See tips below on making sure claims are from legitimate owners, not just people looking for a free animal.)
• Post info to the Facebook pages listed above. (See tips below on making sure claims are from legitimate owners, not just people looking for a free animal.)

When posting “found” ads, it’s important to make sure you’re talking to legitimate owners, not just people looking for a free animal. (I won’t get into the details here, but the short story is that there are people who get free cats and then sell them to other people or to companies that do testing/research on animals.)

• Include a photo of the pet that shows only their face. That way you can ask callers about markings on their body and legs. For example, you can ask if they have different colored paws or a bib.
• Don’t give too much identifying info in the ad. State their gender, color, breed, and whether they have long or short hair. But hold back a couple identifying details (such as a stubby tail, declawed, obvious scars, unique markings) until you talk to callers.
• Ask questions about identifying features of the pet they’ve lost. I always ask questions to which the true answer is “no” because someone lying is more likely to answer “yes”. For example, if a cat I’ve found is declawed I ask “does your cat have all of her claws” instead of asking if the cat is declawed.

Things That Make Reunions MORE Likely

• Put a collar and tag on your dog or cat, especially if they’re indoor-only. My own cats wear tags that say “If I’m out, I’m lost” on one side. The back says “REWARD” and also includes their name and my mobile number.
• Get your pets microchipped, especially if they are indoor-only. Keep your contact info up-to-date with the microchip company. Microchipping usually costs about $50 and only takes a few moments for the veterinarians to insert with a needle. It’s a small price to pay for the peace of mind that comes from having this sort of tracking system.