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The first hours
- Walk the neighbourhood and call softlyCats hide under cars, in basements and up trees within a few houses. Dogs run further but come back along the familiar walking route. Bring a favourite food and call in a calm voice: shouting frightens them. Do not run after the animal: once scared, it runs further. Crouch, speak softly and let it come to you.
- Tell the neighbours and the caretakerAsk them to look into basements, garages and stairwells. Leave your number.
- Post a notice with a photoOn DeRechi and in the district's groups: photo, name, markings, place and time. Say whether the animal is timid and how to approach it.
- Put up flyersEntrances, bus stops, shops and vet clinics within a kilometre. There is nothing to design: on your notice page on DeRechi press “Image with QR”, and a ready poster with the photo, the name and a QR code to the notice is yours to print at once. Whoever spots the animal scans the code and reaches you.
Whom to tell
- Vet clinics nearby: found animals are brought there, especially injured ones.
- Shelters and animal control: ask, and leave a photo with your contact.
- The district's and the city's pet groups: that is where your pet is most likely to be spotted.
- If there is a microchip, tell the registry it is recorded in and the clinic that implanted it.
In the evening and at dawn, when it is quiet, a cat is most likely to answer. Leave a carrier or a box with something of yours by the entrance: a familiar smell helps it come home.
Staying clear of scammers
After the notice you may get messages like “we found it, pay for delivery” or “send the code to confirm your number”. A real finder sends a photo of the animal now, not “after payment”.- Ask for a fresh photo or video and check markings that the notice leaves out.
- Never pay in advance and never follow links “to confirm”.
- Collect the animal in person, in a public place or by a vet clinic.
Found someone's pet?
- Check whether it is really lostA well-kept cat with a collar may simply be out. A dog with no owner nearby, frightened or injured, needs help. Do not grab a frightened or injured animal with bare hands: throw a jacket or a towel over it, and for an injured one call a vet clinic or animal control right away.
- Check for a chip and a tagAlmost any vet clinic can read a chip, usually for free. The collar may carry a tag with a phone number.
- Post a notice and tell the clinics nearbyOn DeRechi and in the district's groups: photo, place, time. The owner will prove the animal is theirs by naming its markings or showing photos.
