Camelot Neighborhood Association

Finding a Lost Pet - or a Lost Owner

By Judi Cheek

One of the most common items on the Camelot E-Mail Information System is the notice of a pet that has been lost or found, and these stories don’t always have a happy ending. We get almost as many calls from people who have found a lost pet as we do from owners whose pets are missing. What should you do when you find that your pet is missing?

Begin looking immediately. Search inside your home, in your yard and on your block. Check routes that may be familiar to your dog. Enlist as many other people as possible to help you find your pet, and take a flashlight with you if it is getting close to dark.

Broaden your search. Contact animal shelters, and keep in mind that your description of your pet may differ from the description of the shelter staff. (Go to the shelters in person every few days.) You can also post lost or found online notices at most shelters. Your description of your pet should include your animal’s name, breed, sex, age, collar color, any identifying characteristics, the date and location where the pet was lost, and your phone number.

- Garland Animal Services – 972-205-3570. You can put a description of your missing or found animal on www.petharbor.com.
- Richardson Animal Shelter – 972-744-4480. The bulletin board is www.spca.org/lostfound. The listings are free and stay on for a month.
- Camelot E-Mail Information System – Contact Cynthia Houck at 214-575-7530 or e-mail coordinator@camelotna.com for an e-mail notice to participating residents.

Advertise your lost pet. Create flyers with a description of your pet (see above), a photo if possible, and the date and general location where the pet was lost. For safety reasons, you should include your phone number but not your name or address. Post these in your neighborhood, vet offices, or pet stores in your area. Veterinarians near our neighborhood include:
- Campbell Park Animal Hospital, 972-495-3083
- Heritage Square Animal Clinic, 972-414-4626
- Springhill Veterinary Clinic, 972-495-5314

Pet stores include:
- Petco, 1401 E. Spring Valley Road, 972-238-5257
- Pet Smart, 5401 N. Garland Avenue, 972-675-4900.

Flyers posted in the neighborhood should be posted in a radius of at least a mile. Remember to remove the flyers when your pet is found.

If you have found a pet, post a sign in your front yard and on your back fence or in your back yard, and put up flyers in the neighborhood as soon as possible while the owner is most likely to be looking for the animal. Leave a description of the animal and a contact number with shelters, veterinarians, neighborhood website (www.camelotna.com) and nearby pet stores. Contact coordinator@camelotna.com to have a notice sent out through our E-Mail Information System. If you are unable to find the owner, contact the shelters to find animal rescue groups that may be able to help you find a home for the lost pet.

Don’t give up; it can take a long time for a lost pet to be turned in to a shelter, particularly if a good Samaritan has taken in that pet to try to find the owner. Keep identification on your pets to make it easy for a good Samaritan to find you.