Has Your Pet Gone Missing?

  1. Conduct a physical search ASAP.
    • If your pet is a dog, where did they go missing from? What caused him to run away? Use this info to determine where you start your search. If your indoor cat is missing, they are often found hiding inside the home, so do a thorough search inside. Indoor cats are typically found 0.13 miles from the point of escape, while outdoor/indoor cats are found 1.2 miles from home.
  2. If you live in Henderson County, call Henderson County Animal Services at 828-697-4723 .
    • They will have you fill out a Lost Animal Report. If your pet was found as a stray, it will most likely end up at the county shelter. You may also visit their Stray Animals Search to see if your animal is listed.
  3. Don’t just call the county shelter.
    • Make an appointment and stop every 1-2 days to see if your pet was brought in. It may take time before your pet is turned in. Your verbal description of your pet often may not match how a shelter staff member might describe them.
  4. Make a flyer.
    • Include a current photo, the animal’s name, age, breed, size, color, markings, last seen location, and the date they went missing. If they wore a collar, include its color and tag information.
  5. Notify friends, neighbors, local businesses, and vets in the area where your pet went missing.
    • Provide a flyer with a photo, pet description, and contact info. Follow up on any leads you get.
  6. Post on Social Media, Lost Pet, and Community Bulletins
  7. If your pet has been micro-chipped, follow these steps:
    • Find the microchip number of your pet. This will be on any paperwork from the shelter, vet or breeder. You can contact them if you do not have the paperwork.
    • Make sure the microchip is registered with the correct information. You can visit this website, Petmicrochiplookup.org, and see if the number is registered and with what company. Contact that company and make sure the contact information is correct.
    • Update your registration information ASAP with the registry. Go to Foundanimals.org and update there – ANY chip can be registered immediately online for free. Add a second contact in case you are not available if your pet is found.
    • Report your pet missing with the chip registry.
    • Notify shelters and provide the chip number and Date Missing, Species, Name, Age, spayed or neutered, size/breed, color/pattern, unique markings, color of collar, tags/microchip information, location mission,g and phone number to call in case a match has been made.
  8. Keep it up! It may seem frustrating, but persistence and patience will help you in your search.
  9. Visit www.missingpetpartnership.org for more ideas on how to find your lost pet.

Call our Pet Helpline or text (828) 393-5832 to receive a call back from one of our Community Support Counselors, or email pethelpline@blueridgehumane.org to get helpful information on how to find your lost pet.

Please fill out the form below with your animals’ information so we can assist you in your search!