Humane Society of Northern Virginia
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Lost & Found Pet Tips
What to Do if Your Pet is Lost
Check Local Shelters
If you have a pet that is lost, contact–or better yet visit–the local shelters in our area. Please keep in mind that stray animals are held oftentimes for only 7 days so visiting the shelters often in the first days of losing your pet is vital to its recovery. Check these shelters in Northern Virginia:
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Prince William County Animal Shelter: 14807 Bristow Road, Manassas, VA 20112, Phone: 703.792.6465
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Manassas City Animal Adoption Center: 10039 Dean Drive, Manassas, VA 20110, Phone: 703.257.2420
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Stafford County Animal Shelter: 26 Frosty Lane Stafford, VA 22554, Phone: (540)658-7387, Email: animalshelter@staffordcountyva.gov
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Fredericksburg SPCA: 10819 Courthouse Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22408, Phone: 540-898-1500, Email: info@fredspca.org
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Spotsylvania Animal Control: 450 TV Drive, Fredericksburg, VA 22408, Phone: 540-582-7115, Email: Animal@spotsylvania.va.us
Post Online
If your pet is lost we recommend using online tools such as PawBoost and Social Media to help spread awareness in your community and to inform others that your pet is lost. Social media groups like Lost and Found Pets Prince William County VA and Lost & Found Pets of Fredericksburg, Stafford, Spotsy, Caroline, & KG VA can help share the news and reunite pets with families.
Helpful Links:
Post Lost & Found Signs
If you have lost or found a pet, post signs and flyers in your area. Remember to place a sign in YOUR yard in case someone finds your pet while you are out looking. This will help to alert your neighbors and anyone that walks or drives past your house that your animal is missing. Make sure that your flyers show a photo of your pet and your contact information.
Tips for Lost & Found Posters:
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Create an eye-catching poster
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Use the rule “FIVE + FIVE + FIFTY-FIVE” from PawBoost
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Include a brief description (e.g. breed, color, sex), pet name, a large photo of your pet, and your contact information
Lost Cat Tips
If your cat gets out here are a few things that might help them return home:
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Place their litter box outside your door in an area they can get to
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Place a box turned on its side with a dirty towel or shirt that has your smell on it
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Search for your kitty in the early morning and evening times. They typically will hide and venture out at dusk and dawn but search immediately upon noticing your cat got outside
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Post on your neighborhood Facebook pages and lost and found pages with a current photo and general area the cat was lost from.
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Call your local animal shelters and rescues to leave information on your lost pet
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Make sure your microchip information is up to date, if found they will need a way to contact you
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Post flyers in your neighborhood, at the grocery store and if you have a local feed store on their bulletin board as well
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Don't lose hope, pets are found days, weeks, months, and even years later
Other Helpful Links
Here are additional links to help locate a missing pet or report a found pet:
Microchip Your Pets
Please consider microchipping all of your pets so that they may be returned to you if lost.
Microchipping your pet greatly increases the chances of being reunited with your pet. Many adopted animals will come microchipped, so be sure to add and update your contact information upon adoption.
If you find a lost pet, take them to a local shelter or vet to have them scanned for a microchip.
