LOST AND FOUND
What to do when you find a stray dog/cat
Finding a stray animal can be rewarding and stressful all at the same time! Many times, animals can be happily reunited with their owners. Experts recommend that you DO NOT remove them from the area! This is important as they are most often, closest to home where they are initially found. Studies show that most often, a stray animal is only 1,000 feet from their home. If finder has the ability, they may contain the animal and do the following to try to return it home
1. Identify
If you can safely do it, please identify if the animal has a collar and rabies tag. Determine what county it is for and contact the local Animal Control Office to have them look up the tag number.
Metro Animal Care and Control - MACC
Williamson County Animal Center
2. Scan for microchip
Most veterinarian offices will have the ability to do this; and will do it for free. If it is after hours, you can go to a 24 hour emergency vet and they will scan as well. Once you find the microchip number, you can contact the company and report the animal as found.
3. FILE A FOUND DOG/CAT REPORT
If animal is contained, please file a found report with the local animal control where the animal was found.
Davidson County:
If you are unable to contain the animal, contact your local Animal Control Office to ensure the animal is safely contained..
4. Knock on Doors
As stated above, most animals are never too far from home or where they were "lost"! Knock on doors in the area where you found the animal. Maybe they saw something; or maybe someone was visiting the area and their pet got out.
4.check lost and found websites
These websites work both ways. You can search for lost pets OR post found pets.
Pet Harbor- Lost and Found - https://phshelter.com/
Pawboost- https://www.pawboost.com/ (also links with facebook)
5.post on Social media
Post the animal on social media. There are many lost and found sites in the greater Nashville area. Below we have listed some on facebook.
Skippy Lou's Lost and Found Pets
BellevueandWestNashvilleLostandFoundPets
East Nashville and Inglewood Lost and Found Pets
HipDonelsonLostandFoundPets
AntiochTennesseeLostandFoundPets
MadisonandRivergateLostandFoundPets
OldHickoryPetsandLost&Found
Lost and Found Pets of Hermitage, TN
Lost and Found Pets of Joelton /Whites Creek/Bordeaux/TN
Missing Animals in Middle TN
HelpMeHomeLostandFoundPetsofMiddleTN
Nashville Lost and Found Pets
GoodlettsvilleTennesseeLost&FoundPets
Don't forget your specific neighborhood pages and NextDoor a neighborhood specific chat board..
6. Make flyers and poster boards
Create and print flyers and tape to your neighbor’s doors. And create poster boards. Hang flyers/Poster boards in the neighborhood. It also helps to use bright colored posterboard to attract attention when making posters.
Metro Animal Care and Control, Davidson County, will also give you yard signs which will indicate an animal was found in that specific location.
7. Contact local pet businesses
Contact local pet centered businesses and ask if they can post your flier in office and online. This includes vet offices, pet stores, daycare/boarding facilities, etc.
Additional Information
- After you have filled out the “FOUND” form, some facilities may ask if you can hold on to the animal for a STRAYcation. We cannot take the animal into our care until that time. You can always contact your local animal control and take the animal there and have them contact you when their stray hold is up. If we have space, we can try to take them into rescue. You will need to provide us with their intake number. There are no guarantees as multiple factors are considered before we can intake an animal.
- Stray hold:
- Davidson County has a 3 day stray hold with no microchip or tag and 7 days with a microchip or tag.
- Williamson County has a 5 day stray hold.
- Please note that if you do not fill out a FOUND form, legally, you must hold the animal for a minimum of 21 days and show proof of attempt to find owner prior to rehoming that animal.
- Metro Animal Care & Control (MACC) asked me to hold onto the animal I found. Why? NACA Guidelines on Appointment-Based