Copyright 2004 Green Lake Area Animal Shelter Ltd. dba TriCASA. All rights reserved.
Start searching for your lost pet right away !
Once you discover your dog or cat is missing, don't wait, start making phone calls right away. You only have 7 days to locate your pet before it becomes someone else's property.
Start by calling your local authorities and Green Lake Area Animal Shelter then work your way outward, into surrounding Townships and Villages. Then call Humane Societies in nearby Cities. ( You can search for local rescues and shelters on Petfinder.com by entering your zip code. )
State law mandates that anyone who finds a stray dog or cat and is not able to identify the owner must notify the animal control agent of the town in which the animal is found. Most municipalities and townships have a designated animal control officer, police department, or veterinarian clinic, who takes on these responsibilities. The animal control officer may house an animal for the required 7 days or take the animal to a facility that will do the same. After 7 days your pet becomes the legal property of the agency possessing it, and they can determine what happens next.
Be aware that someone may find your dog or cat and take him to an animal shelter or humane society miles away.
If you need to determine who is your local animal control official, please call law enforcement or your local animal shelter.
Remember, microchipping your pet can virtually guarantee it's safe return. It's fast, cheap, and permanent. ( Call GLAAS to schedule your pet today!)
IMPORTANT!
If you have found a stray pet, you must contact law enforcement or animal control. DO NOT bring the animal to the shelter without calling first to make an appointment, 920-294-3042. Thank you!
What is Animal Control?
Every City, Town, or Village decides for itself what animal control services it will provide for its citizens. The money used to pay for these services often comes from your dog and cat license fees. (This is just one of the reasons it is important for you to license your pet!)
Call them Animal Control Officers, Constables, or even Dog Catchers, they provide the important service of assisting people by handling stray animal complaints. Some municipalities employ a Humane Officer to address abuse or neglect situations. Many rely on law enforcement for this service.
The Green Lake Area Animal Shelter is available to partner with individual municipalities in their animal control procedures. Several local townships have taken advantage or our shelter by partnering with us, but many choose to contract elsewhere.
Since every municipality has a different procedure for dealing with stray animals, you must contact your local law enforcement or animal control officer for assistance.
What is a 'stray' animal?
In the animal sheltering world, pets arrive from a variety of sources. Mostly, though, pets are either surrendered by their owners or brought in as strays. A stray pet is simply one that is not under the control of it's owner, either roaming loose or not on a leash. Pets do not need to appear in immediate danger or as if they have been on their own for years to be classified as strays.
In the eyes of the law, once a stray has been under your supervision for seven days, it is now your property and responsibility. This is why shelters or animal control agencies will ask you when the pet appeared. To save yourself any headaches and to make sure the pet stands the best chance of being reunited with it's owners, contact your local animal control agency before the seven days is up.
In this shelter's opinion, if a pet is not in immediate distress or danger, quite often they will find their way home within the first day. Please use your best judgement when deciding how to act. Feel free to contact GLAAS for more information, or to find out who handles stray pets for your community.
TIP
If your cat goes missing, try these few tips to find her:
~Put her litterbox outside. If you kow which door she went out, put the litterbox outside that door. Do not clean it first, the scent of her 'bathroom' may lead her home.
~YOU must physically search for her on your neighbor's property. Ask permission, but do not rely on them to search their own sheds and garages, you do it.
~Search in the early morning or around sundown. Choose the times of day when your neighborhood is quietest and kitty will be most likely to come to you.
~IF your cat is USED TO a particular canned food treat, try taking a freshly opened can of this food with you on your search, and then leaving it on your steps when you go home. If your kitty does not regularly get canned food, this technique will not work. You could also try shaking her treat bag as you search for her.
