We have all seen it before on our community group feeds: frantic pet owners searching for their lost pets, or good citizens trying to catch animals on the loose and take them to the nearest vet or place of safety.

ALSO READ: Tips to help you find a missing pet

We love our best friends, but they can be little escape artists! Now there is an app with the sole purpose of reuniting lost pets with their owners.

Lost & Hound is free to use and requires an e-mail address or Facebook account to sign up.

People can list lost and found pets, along with pictures, and search for animals within a 150km radius of their location.

Once a user finds an animal they think may be theirs, they can privately message the poster and organise collection.

Helping communities – and their pets
“We saw a need for this service within communities,” says Ed Wrede, MD of Empire State – the software development company that built the app.

“Not only for private citizens, but for vets and animal welfare organisations too. Often pets remain unclaimed for weeks or months, purely because owners were not looking in the right places.

“In addition, many community platforms are overburdened with lost and found pet posts, putting pressure on forum admins. This app aims to alleviate some of that pressure.”

Users are encouraged to ensure they receive sufficient proof of ownership before returning pets. Always arrange to meet in a public place, such as at a local vet’s office, for the safety of all involved.

The app is available for download on both the Google Play and Apple App stores.

App features and links
The app allows for:
– adding lost and found animal listings
– describing the animal by type
– describing the animal by condition
– adding photos of the animal
– adding location where the animal was found
– adding a description of the animal
– direct messaging between users, allowing for both videos and photos to be sent

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