Steps to Follow if You Find a Lost Pet

Feb 04 2022, 18:18

Finding a lost pet can be stressful. You immediately have concerns that the pet has been abandoned or neglected and often you don’t know what to do. We’ve put together a list of things to do if you’ve found a lost pet in the Scarborough area. One thing to keep in mind is that often these animals haven’t been abandoned or neglected, but have wondered off without the owners evening being aware yet. Doing the tasks listed below can help you to reunite the lost Pet to his or her owner quickly.

  • Check the pet for any identification. If there is a rabies tag you can call the clinic that is listed on the tag. They should be able to look up the tag number and assist in contacting the owners. Some of the newer rabies tags even have QR Codes that can be scanned with a smartphone to get the owners contact information immediately.
  • Bring the pet to a local animal hospital to check for a microchip. Here at West Hill Animal Clinic we welcome people with lost pets to drop in and have us scan for a microchip. If they are microchipped, as long as the owner has updated their contact information, we can assist in getting the pet back to the owner.
  • Call Animal Services – Toronto Animal Services Contact 416-338-PAWS (7297) to file a Lost Animal Report.
  • Visit the closest animal shelter. The closest shelter to West Hill Animal Clinic is:
    Toronto East Animal Shelter
    Phone: 416-338-7539
    821 PROGRESS AVE Toronto, ON M1H 2X4
  • Register your pet on websites like: https://www.helpinglostpets.com/
  • Use social media like Facebook to share pictures of the found pet. Try to withhold one piece of information about the pet that can be used to help identify the owner when they contact you.
  • Put posters up everywhere. We have a board in our waiting room for anyone to put up posters of lost or found pets, but getting them up everywhere in the neighbourhood will help spread the word that you’ve found someone’s pet.

If you have found a pet and are unable to hold on to them until their owner is found, please contact us at West Hill so that we can direct you to the proper place: 416-282-8516

by Emily Lim, Clinic Manager