Social media will not always find your lost pet
Kempton Park SPCA gives advice about lost and found animals.
Not everyone has smartphones and/or access to the internet, so even though posting on WhatsApp groups and Facebook pages, you might not necessarily find the owners of a stray animal you have managed to pick up.
Kira Sparrow, manager of Kempton Park SPCA, gives the following sound advice:
Lost Animals
1. Contact your local SPCA, other shelters and vets in your area: provide them with a description and preferably submit a photo to them if possible.
2. Visit your local SPCA and other shelters regularly. Check shelters in person to preclude your pet being overlooked due to any variance in description due to condition.
3. Should you place a lost advert in the local newspaper, Facebook and or WhatsApp groups, do not insert the gender or age or unique identifying marks of the animal, as the wrong people often show up to claim the animal.
Found Animals
1. Contact your local SPCA, other shelters and vets in your area and provide them with a description and preferably submit a photo to them if possible.
2. Hand over the found animal to the SPCA (where they will be able to check if any missing reports have been opened and ascertain if it has a microchip).
3. The SPCA is the first place people with missing animals go to, to look for them.
4. Kindly take note that should you have found a stray animal, keeping it could lead to a case of theft, therefore the best thing to do is bring it to the SPCA.
5. Domestic animals which are used to being cared for can and do deteriorate in condition very quickly. Do not assume an owner has been cruel or neglectful based on the condition of the animal as you do not know how long it has been missing.
“We have received many missing notifications and plenty of stray animals lately. Please ensure that your properties are secure and that you take care when entering and leaving so the animals do not have an opportunity to wonder,” Sparrow said.
Inserting a microchip is a good idea, as it will quickly assist with identification of the animal and its owners. Also, having a collar and a name tag with contact details helps to reunite pets with their owners with little delay.
Kempton Park SPCA offers microchipping at R250 an animal and R35 for an ID tag (which has a unique code and SPCA’s telephone number).
