When your much-loved dog or cat strays from home, it can be a traumatic experience for both of you. We offer the following tips to help you find your lost pet.
Come to Fort Wayne Animal Care & Control Immediately
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As soon as you are certain your pet is missing, come to Animal Care & Control to walk through the stray animal wards. We are open Monday through Friday from 11 AM - 5:30 PM for general business. Upon your visit, a clerk will take a lost-pet report.
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Bring a picture of your missing pet with you to the shelter. Many animals are marked with similar colors and patterns. A picture will help distinguish your pet. We will attach your pet's picture with your lost-pet report and we will refer to it if as we receive calls about pets that are found and being held in someone's home.
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Return to the shelter everyday or a minimum of every three days to look through the kennels.
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Search Found Pets on our Website in between trips to the shelter.
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Notify the police department if you suspect that your pet was stolen.
Look Closest To Home First
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Walk or drive through your neighborhood several times each day. Most lost cats that have always lived indoors will not generally go far from home. Many are discovered hiding just a few yards from where they were lost. Dogs are often found in areas that they are familiar with - like a nearby park or school.
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The best times to look for a lost pet is early morning and late evening when streets are quiet.
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Search under porches, basements and in garages if your pet is a cat.
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Ask letter carriers and delivery people if they have seen your pet. Give them a flyer with a picture of your pet and information on how you can be reached.
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Put a sign in your own yard announcing that your pet is missing. Someone in the area might find your pet and drive around trying to determine where it lives.
Post "Lost" Pet Signs 
Lost Dog Flyer Lost Cat Flyer
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Post signs in grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, and traffic intersections to alert the neighborhood.
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Use large lettering on the signs, so they can be seen from a distance. Include a accurate description of your pet and information on how you can best be reached. Be sure to add a clear photo of your missing pet.
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Reserve at least one identifying mark for positive identification in case someone claims to have found your pet and wants to meet you for a reward. Never go alone to a stranger's house to identify your pet. Ask to meet in a public area - like at the shelter.
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Index cards are an affective, inexpensive way to get the word out. Provide the necessary information about your missing pet on each card and place the cards on the windows of parked cars throughout the area.
Place ads in newspapers
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Be sure to put a "LOST" ad in the Lost and Found classified section of all local newspapers. The ad should run for at least three weeks.
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Read the "FOUND" ads in all local newspapers, just in case someone has found your pet and is trying to locate you. Found ads are generally free for the first three days.
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If the description sounds close, call. The same animal could be described in a lot of different ways.
Don't Give Up
Your pet is counting on you, so don't give up after a few days. Animals that have been lost for several months have been reunited with their owners. When you do find your pet, have it microchipped for permanent identification and make certain it always wears a city pet registration attached to its collar. The city registration is traceable to you 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
