By acting quickly, you may be able to locate your pet before he has the opportunity to wander too far from home. You can make a quick trip through the neighborhood in your car, but it is important to also canvas the area on foot. This will let you look more closely at areas you won't see when driving by. If you take a regular path when walking your dog, follow this route. Otherwise, start close to home and work outward in increasingly large circles. Bring a leash or carrier and even some treats to help entice your animal back to you. Don't forget to call out to your animal as you go - looking a little silly is a small price to pay for getting your pet back home safely.

The quickest and easiest way to file a lost animal report is to visit Animal Services' Lost and Found Animals page. Follow the links at the top of the page to file a report for your lost dog, cat, or other type of animal. You will also be able to add a picture of your lost pet to the report.

If you are unable to file your report electronically, you may make a telephone report by calling (805)781-4400.

 If your animal has been injured, he may have been brought to a veterinary facility. Contact the clinics in your area and provide them a description of your pet along with your phone number. If the local clinics are closed when your pet goes missing, check with the emergency animal hospitals in Arroyo Grande and Atascadero. 

The more you get the information out about your missing pet, the better.

• Talk with your neighbors and let them know your pet is missing. Bring along a recent photo and make sure that they have your phone number and address. Also, check with mail carriers, delivery personnel, and others who work in the area.
• Make up "lost pet" flyers. Include a clear, current photo of your animal; list the breed, sex, color, age, size or weight, and any distinguishing characteristics. Include your name and phone numbers. It's a good idea to include a phone number for a friend or family member in case you can't be reached. Good places to post your fliers include mailboxes, signposts, and trees around the area where your pet was lost; dog parks; vet clinics and pet stores; around schools; and high traffic commercial facilities like grocery and convenience stores, gas stations, and restaurants.

Post a notice with online community boards like Craig's List and Lost Pets of SLO County. Be sure to look at postings for "Found Animals" too. Online services like the Center for Lost Pets and Fido Finder are also available to help find lost pets.

The Lost Pet Hotline (781-4407) provides a daily recording of all animals brought to the shelter or reported to Animal Services as found in the last 24 hours. The recording updates daily at approximately 6:00 p.m. 
Animal Services' website displays a listing of all animals in our shelter as well as a listing of all animals reported as found over the last sixty days.

No one knows your animal better than you. While tools such as Lost Reports, the Animal Services' website and Lost Pet Hotline are helpful, descriptions of animals, even photographs, may vary from the way you would describe your pet. Therefore, it is critical that you physically visit the shelter and personally look for your pet on a frequent and regular basis (at least every 72 hours).

Identification aids like microchips and license tags only work if your contact information is up to date. If your animal gets lost, contact Animal Services, your pet's microchip registry, and any other pet recovery companies you have an account with to ensure that they have your most current address, phone numbers, and email address on file.

If you don't find your pet right away, keep at it. Many animals are reunited with their owners after several weeks or even months.