Found a pet? We're glad you're here.

Southern Pines is committed to reuniting lost pets with their families. However, we can't do it alone! We depend on our community to reunite lost pets with their owners so that the shelter can continue utilizing our resources for the most critical cases. Data shows that most animals are picked up within 1/4 mile of their house, AND they are more likely to be reunited with their owners if they don’t go to a shelter. Despite our best efforts, only around 4-5% of pets who come to the shelter are reunited with their families. So we are empowering citizens to hold onto a found pet for at least the first 48 hours, so that lost pets can stay safe while you’re actively searching for their human family.

Don't wait! Do these things right away:

Report

Report the found pet and search Petco Love Lost national lost and found database, where pets are reported as lost to our shelter.

Check

Check to see if the pet has an ID tag or a microchip, so that you can get in touch with the owner. Most vet offices or animal shelters will be able to scan for a chip.

Walk

Walk or drive around the area where you found the pet. Create FOUND pet signs that you can hang in the area.

Share

Share your Petco Love Lost flyer on social media, including our Lost & Found Pets of the Pinebelt page. 
​Click here for a more comprehensive list of  Facebook groups.

Reuniting People & Pets: A Short Guide

Note: Pets can quickly become dirty, injured, or otherwise disorderly in appearance. It is important not to assume that the pet was dumped or not cared for before it became lost. 

It's an unfortunate reality in Southern Mississippi that there is an abundance of lost and stray pets. Southern Pines is committed to making a difference for people and pets by educating our community, spaying and neutering, and by finding homes for as many animals as we can. However, we can't do it alone! We depend on our community to reunite lost pets with their owners so that the shelter can continue utilizing our resources for the most critical cases. 

Data shows that most animals are picked up within 1/4 mile of their house, AND they are more likely to be reunited with their owners if they don’t go to a shelter. Despite our best efforts, only around 4-5% of pets who come to the shelter are reunited with their families. So we are empowering citizens to hold onto a found pet for at least the first 48 hours, so that lost pets can stay safe while you’re actively searching for their human family.

Below we have compiled a short guide to how you can best try and reunite animals with their owners or rehome them if an owner is unable to be located. What to do when you find a stray pet, and how to reunite them with their family: 

​1. Start Close to Home! 

• Make sure to check for any tags or other identification right away. If the pet has tags, call and text their family right away to coordinate a reunion. If they have rabies tags, call the vet office it originated from to notify them of the lost pet and to get owner information. Sometimes the owner information is stitched directly onto the collar so make sure to look there as well.
• Most lost pets are found within just a few blocks from home. Take some time to knock on doors and read through all of this info before moving the animal from where you found it. 
• If you've found young kittens, please READ THIS before touching or moving the kittens. Mom is probably nearby, and removing them may dramatically reduce their chances of survival. 
• Be aware that many areas in our state do not have leash laws, and in those areas animals are legally allowed to be free-roaming. Please check local laws and ordinances before moving or containing animals that may be just taking a walkabout. 
• Most shelters and rescues are not able to accommodate walk-ins, and may require appointments and surrender fees even for stray pets. Please read through the rest of the info on this page before reaching out to local shelters and rescues who stay overwhelmed with the volume of stray pets in need of assistance. YOU are this pet's best resource for getting home safely!
• Secure the pet and hold onto it for at least 48 hours. Typically, pets don’t wander too far from home so the chances are that someone is looking for them close to where they were found. ​

2. Use Social Media & National Databases

• Visit the PetcoLoveLost website and register the found pet for free. PetcoLoveLost works by comparing a photo of the found pet against a database of more than 100,000 dogs and cats who have been reported by community members, shelters, and rescue groups. Additionally, they have found pet poster and social media post templates, plus tips and articles about how to most effectively reunite pets with their families.
• Utilizing community pages or groups on Facebook to help spread the word that you have lost or found a pet is a great resource. When people call Southern Pines with information about a lost or missing pet, we direct them to Lost and Found Pets of the Pinebelt. It is a very active, local Facebook page monitored by area shelters and rescues. Area residents are invited to post both lost and found pets on the page, with the purpose of creating a central location for networking lost pets and getting them home. For more lost and found pages, click here. ​ Whether you've lost a pet or found a stray, posters are encouraged to: 
  1. Upload a picture
  2. Include geographic location where the pet was lost or found
  3. Include pertinent information about the pet (age, breed/mix, collar, microchip, gender, altered status, unique markings etc.)
  4. Share contact information
• Sharing and promoting the animal on your social media is a great way to get the dog's photo and information out to the community, but it rarely as successful as posting in community groups and other pages and groups specifically for reuniting lost and found pets with their families.
• Post the pet on Pawboost. ​​PawBoost is like an AMBER Alert for lost pets. Millions of pet lovers have joined their Rescue Squad by signing up for localized lost & found pet alerts. More importantly, PawBoost has helped reunite over 1 million pets with their families. Posting is free, with optional premium services available.

3. Get the Pet Scanned for a Microchip

• Most vet offices or clinics will scan an animal for a microchip for free. Taking the dog or cat to a facility with a scanner and asking for them to check is a quick process that could possibly deliver the owner’s information nearly immediately. Most microchips are located under the skin so there is always a chance that a pet could be chipped even if they have no other form of identification.

4. Flyer the Neighborhood

• Making posters and hanging them on posts or boards around your neighborhood is a good way to get the word out that you have found a stray. Keep in mind that there are people that don’t have access to social media so having a poster or flyer up increases the number of people you are reaching. ​

5. Keep Reposting! 

• Due to the high volume of posts on lost and found pages, repost frequently! 

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Need help with rehoming a pet? Visit our Rehoming Resources here.