Lost Pet

Losing your pet can be a scary and heartbreaking experience.  Start your search as soon as you discover that your pet has gone missing.  By following the steps below right away, you’ll have the best possible chance of being reunited with your beloved pet. However, if you don’t find your pet quickly, do not give up! Pets are often found weeks or even months after they go missing.

  1. ​Immediately alert your neighbors about your lost pet, via the methods your community uses most to communicate. This could include Nextdoor, Ring, a neighborhood email list or a Facebook group. Also Lost Pets of Lee, Russell and Muscogee County is a popular Facebook page in the Columbus area. Be sure to include a description of your pet (color, size, male/female), last known location and a photo.
  2. If your pet has a microchip, contact the microchip company right away to report them as lost, and update your contact information if needed.
  3. Submit lost dog report to your municipal shelter.
  1. Contact your local and surrounding animal controls giving them as much information as possible, including pictures.
    Muscogee County – 706 653-4512
    Harris County – 706 582-2763.
    Russell County – 334 297-2632.
  2. Set up a PawBoost alert.
  3. Make a flier. PetFBI has a helpful online lost pet flier template. Then post one at your house and walk the neighborhood, speak with neighbors, postal carriers, UPS/Amazon drivers, landscapers, and tell them about your missing pet.
  4. Using car friendly markers, advertise in your car’s rear window including your phone number and a picture of your pet.
  1. Visit the municipal animal shelters to look for your pet. Ask staff about pets in staff-only areas. If you have a flier, give one to the front desk staff.  Continue to check their website for updates on who has been impounded.  Continue to revisit the shelter over several days if you are able.
  2. Hang lost pet posters. Then hang the poster at major intersections within a 3-mile radius of where your dog was lost or 1-mile radius of where your cat was lost. Once your pet is found, retrieve your lost pet posters from wherever you hung them.
  3. Look for your pet frequently on social media and on municipal websites (Paws Humane Animal Services Division). Pictures are not always the best quality, so if you see a pet that could possibly be yours, write down the ID number and contact the shelter immediately.

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Missing Animal Response Network

Missing Animal Response Network has more tips on finding your dog or cat, including examples of lost pet signs, lost dog and cat behavior and when you should use a trap.

Don’t Give Up!

​Finding a lost pet can take time. So start searching immediately and often. Animals that are lost may still be close to home.