How to Bring Your Lost Companion Home
Why they Leave
Dogs: May Run because of: Opportunity, Curiosity, Sexual Urges –if not neutered, Loneliness or Boredom, Fear.
Cats: May Run because of Opportunity, Curiosity, Defending it’s Territory (from other animal), Desire to Hunt.
Best Chances
Your animals have a much better chance of returning home if they have:
A collar and tag with Current, Up to date Info and/or A
microchip with Current, Up to date Info - having neither Or
having old, out dated info on collars or microchips is the
number one hindrance to getting an animal home.
What to Do
Walk your neighborhood calling your pet’s name (you may drive if your
dog likes to ride or your animal is Not a cat).
Talk to everyone – neighbors, mail carriers, meter readers and show them
a picture of your pet and your contact info. Once you have fliers
– hand those out to these people. Do this several times a day.
Call local vets, animal clinics and emergency centers and then follow up
in person once you have flyers available.
Make Big, colorful and Easy to Read flyers and signs* with the word
“REWARD” in large letters (don’t list an amount). It MUST have
a clear picture on it – if you don’t one on hand, find one similar
to your animal on the internet (search images). If you live in a
bilingual area, make them in both languages. Include the breed,
sex and weight. Consider putting your cell number so that they
can contact you even if you’re out searching.
Put the flyers in mailboxes, on the bulletin boards of all local Vet
Clinics, Shelters, Pet Stores, Grocery Stores – anywhere you can.
Consider distributing your flyers using the Postal Service, Every Door
Direct https://www.usps.com/business/every-door-direct-mail.htm which can target recipients in specific areas.
Post the larger Signs on stop signs, light poles, at entrances and exits, etc.
-wherever they can be seen by cars, especially where cars will be
slowing or stopped.
Post a large sign in Your own yard to indicate to people where the animal
belongs.
Use window paint to mark the back glass and back windows of your car
with the same info as the signs. Fluorescent paint works well.
Place ads in local papers – pain & free print and online.
In DeSoto County or Memphis – make a post on the facebook page(s):
Lost & Found Pets of DeSoto County and/or Lost & Found Pets
of the Mid-South Monitor those pages and the Craigslist
Sections of ‘Lost & Found’ as well as the ‘Pets.’ Put a post on
Facebook page as well – social media is very powerful and many
friends, colleagues, friends of friends, friends of your kids
parents, teachers and even strangers will share your posts to get
the word out.
Do All of the Above as fast as you can! Illicit as much help as you can get
to accomplish it in the shortest amount of time as possible – it
makes a difference!
How to Search Local Shelters
Go in Person and Search- calling will not do!
**See the Special Section: How to Search MAS (Mphs Animal Shelter)
Go to ALL shelters in the area – dogs especially can travel large
Distances.
Take copies of your flyers with a GOOD Picture to leave at the shelter,
but this doesn’t take the place of going in person.
Search the shelters every couple of days – Shelters take in large
numbers of animals daily and although most workers
have wonderful intentions, the workload sometimes is
overwhelming. Make sure you get a flyer into the hands of
the intake coordinator. All Shelters are KILL SHELTERS!
Later
If you still haven’t found your pet after a week or so, start searching
Petfinder.com in case your pet was taken in by a Rescue Group or
other Shelter and has been placed up for adoption. Search by
Zip Code and Species only in case your pet’s breed or sex has
been entered erroneously. Continue the search for several pages
in case the animal has ended up in a surrounding county.
You can also contact local Rescue Groups directly. To get a complete list,
select “Shelters” tab on Petfinder.com and put in your zip code.
Local Shelters
DeSoto County Animal Shelter
Director Monica Mock
1251 Humane Way
Nesbit, MS 38651
Phone: 662-469-8004
Email:
Southaven Animal Shelter
5813 Pepperchase Drive
Southaven, MS 38671
Phone: 662-796-2491
Horn Lake Animal Shelter
6410 East Center Street
Horn Lake, MS 38637
Phone: 662-393-5857
Hernando Animal Shelter
This Shelter is Not Manned
If you have lost an animal, please call the Animal Control Officer at 662.429.9096 or e-mail Tisa at . If you have lost an animal outside the Hernando City limits contact Desoto County Animal Shelter.
Senatobia-Tate Co. Animal Shelter
909 E.F. Hale Dr.
Senatobia, MS 38668
Phone: 662-562-0070
Memphis Animal Shelter
2350 Appling City Cove
Memphis, TN 38133
(901) 636-1416
The Memphis and Shelby County Humane Society
935 Farm Road
Memphis, TN 38134
Bartlett Animal Shelter
5220 Shelter Run Lane, Bartlett, TN 38135
Ph: (901) 385-6484
Collierville Animal Shelter
603 East South Street
Collierville, Tennessee 38017
Phone: 901-901-457-2670
Germantown Animal Shelter
7700 Southern Avenue
Germantown, TN
Phone: 901-757-7358
MILLINGTON, TN
If you have lost a pet in Millington PLEASE contacthttp://www.millingtontn.gov/index.aspx?NID=198
You will also need to contact the Memphis Animal Shelter to. Animals are transferred to Memphis from this Millington facility.
Tipton County Animal Shelter
8621 Hwy 51S, Brighton, TN hours are 8-4:30 Monday-Friday and 8-12 on Saturday.
(901) 837-5919
Fayette County Animal Control
Phone: 901-465-3456