Okay, I need your help. I know you are an animal-lover and you know other animal-lovers out there.
Here’s the deal. If, heaven forbid, you or any or your friends ever loses a pet – a cat sneaks outside one day or a pup gets excited about a squirrel and the leash slips through your fingers – please make sure that one of the first calls you make is to an animal shelter.
Even if it’s farther away than you ever thought your pup could get.
We have had dogs brought to us by our state dog wardens – as strays, which means they were found running around – from a rather remarkable distance away and we sure wish we could find their owners.
I remember when I first started working here, I would take a look at the strays coming in the door and say out loud, “Oh that’s clearly someone’s dog.”
The response was, “Every one of them is someone’s dog.”
A rather poignant, but effective statement in the grand scheme of things – it really made me stop and think.
While I know every one of the animals in our shelter was more than likely taken care of by someone at some point in time, it breaks my heart to think that some of these babies could go home if only the owner would make some kind of contact with us.
Keep in mind not one of these strays has any kind of identification – no tags, no microchip, nothing to give us anything to go on.
It’s even more frustrating when we do find a microchip but it doesn’t lead anywhere because no one updated the information when they moved or adopted the animal. Please folks, make sure if your pet is microchipped, your information is current with the company.
Because of this, we have to rely on the people who are missing their dog or cat to call us, which doesn’t always happen.
Not only can an animal wander farther than you would ever dream – get a beagle on a scent and I swear he could be four states away before you stop him – but some shelters might get dogs out of their normal jurisdictions.
So please, let everyone you know be aware that a lost dog or cat could have been taken to an animal shelter out of his or her hometown. So make calls to as many shelters and
rescue groups as you can think of. Let the vets in your area (and possibly even outside of your area) know to be on the lookout if an injured stray who matches your baby’s description comes to them for treatment. (A lot of dog wardens and cruelty officers take animals right to a vet if the situation is dire enough.)
Include photos of your pet and make up a flyer with the information. Have your vaccination history on hand as proof that the animal is yours, should you need it.
Certainly get the word out to your neighborhood, as well as your friends and family, to watch out for your pet. I know a couple of people who have actually requested the help of the local fire department and their heat-sensing devices to look through neighborhoods for lost pets.
It’s an animal-lover’s worst nightmare. I’ve actually had horrible dreams that one of my felines has been lost and oh, the feeling I have when I wake up is so ugly. We all hope it doesn’t happen, but being realistic, we have to plan for it.
And from a shelter standpoint, please, please, call us. Nothing upsets me more than knowing full well one of the babies in our kennels has a home, we just have no idea where it might be.
To make matters even worse, you can look in the sad eyes and know that they know it, too, but they can’t talk to tell you where to take them or whom to call.
So please, help us help them and make sure shelters and rescues are your first point of contact should you ever lose your four-legged friend.
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Jennifer Vanderau is the Publications and Promotions Consultant for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter in Chambersburg, Pa., and can be reached at [email protected]. The shelter accepts both monetary and pet supply donations. For more information, call the shelter at 717-263-5791 or visit the website www.cvas-pets.org. CVAS also operates a thrift store in Chambersburg. Help support the animals at the shelter by donating to or shopping at the store.
