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FOUND A PET?
Did you know that 75% of animals that are "lost" are usually picked up within one mile of their home?
It turns out that most pets aren't lost. They're just out for a stroll and need a little help from a human to get them back to their family.
Animal shelters are stressful, scary places for pets, no matter how hard we try to make them an easy place to be. You can help a pet avoid having to go to the animal shelter with just a bit more effort to get them home again!
Do you live outside of any municipality but still live inside Hidalgo County? If so, check out our Wait for 48 partnership that we have with residents in your area who have found lost pets!
GUIDE FOR FOUND PETS
Find a Dog? Here's What You Should Do!
Step #1. Click a few good photos of the dog, making sure to leave any collar on and feature any identifying marks. Don't change the appearance of the dog!
Step #2. Post the photos and information in your neighborhood social media pages, including NextDoor, Craigslist, and Facebook.
Step #3. Fill out our Found Pet Form!
Step #4. Take the pet to a pet store or veterinarian to have it scanned for a microchip!
Step #5. Walk around the found neighborhood and see if anyone recognizes it. Most pets travel less than a mile when loose.
Step #6. Create a LOST DOG FLYER. Register the pet with Petco Love Lost, a database that uses facial recognition tools to help lost pets get back to their owners.
Step #7. Post the found animal on our PVAS PASS Program page. PVAS PASS is a program to help keep pets of RGV owned by the public out of the shelter system by reconnecting owners and pets along with providing other resources.
Step #8. Click above to see a list of all the lost animals that have been submitted to PVAS. If one of the descriptions sounds familiar, contact the owner and see if it is the pet you found!
Contacting Animal Control to retrieve the found pet should be the last effort once all resources are exhausted. In the case that you need to turn the found pet over, contact your local department. The following municipalities are currently contracting our sheltering services:
McAllen Animal Control: (956) 681-2124
Edinburg Animal Control: (956) 289-7700
Hidalgo County Animal Control: (956) 383-0111
City of Palmhurst: (956) 583-8697
City of Hidalgo: (956) 843-2737
City of La Joya: (956) 581-7002
Research shows us that most animals find their way home within 48 hours if the finder chooses to hold onto the pet instead of bringing it to the shelter. Please consider holding the animal!
If, after all the work you've put into finding this animal's home, you still aren't successful, consider using Home to Home or Rehome, both pet rehoming sites, or one of the many social media options for rehoming pets.
If you have found an animal in emergent distress, please bring it to the shelter if you can't afford to take it to the vet! We can help triage the animal and then work with you on the next steps.
FIND HEALTHY CATS OR KITTENS?
Be careful--you might be kit-napping!
Kittens need their mom, and though it may look like they have been abandoned, mom is likely right around the corner.
If you find kittens, don't touch them! Kittens survive much better outside waiting for their mother, who is probably hunting nearby, than in a shelter - any shelter.
You might think you're helping by picking them up, but you may be 'kitnapping' them.
Leave them be and reach out to our Community Cat Program if you have questions.
Not sure if you're kitnapping? Check out our Community Cat Program page for more info on kitnapping.
SUPPORT OUR MISSION
Our organization relies on community support to do the lifesaving work we do. Be a part of this work and donate today! Your donation will allow us to grow our programs and help more animals across the RGV.