If an Animal Is Lost

If you are in Israel, also see information below.

It is a traumatic experience for both companion animal and human when an animal strays from home. Remember, you must act quickly! The longer you wait, the further the animal can travel and the greater the chance that he or she can become injured. Keep a collar with your address and phone number on your companion animal at all times, even indoors, in case the animal somehow gets away. If you walk your dog or cat with a harness, a lightweight collar can be used just for ID tags. Ideally, you should have your animal microchipped, and the information in the database should be kept updated. It will be easier to find a lost animal if you have pictures of him.

Companion animals should never be allowed to walk outside unleashed or unattended unless they are in a securely fenced area. This is particularly true during storms. It is very easy for an animal who would not otherwise wander to become completely disoriented in a storm and end up many miles from home.

• Call all the local animal shelters and animal control agencies within a wide radius. Call veterinarians. If your animal has been injured, someone may bring him or her to a clinic. If possible, visit the shelters and veterinarians and provide them with a recent photograph of your lost animal. In addition, contact your local police department.
   

• Search the neighborhood thoroughly and often! Whether you walk, bicycle, or drive, carefully look and listen for your animal companion. Be sure to do this frequently. Your animal might be injured or frightened. Ask neighbors and postal workers around your community if they have seen the lost animal. Distribute a recent photograph of your dog or cat with information about how you can be reached.
   

• Post signs and advertise. You can post signs in veterinarians' offices, post offices, grocery stores, community centers, and on street corners. Include a picture of the lost animal. Advertising in local newspapers and on websites such as Petfinder.com in the U.S. may also help find the lost animal. Call your local radio station and ask if they will make an announcement. Specify his or her gender, age, weight, breed, color, and any special markings.
   

• Don't give up. Keep searching the community and contacting shelters. Animals have been reunited with their human companions after several months.

If you find a lost animal without ID, please notify all the local shelters and the local police department. Give them a detailed description of the animal. Lost animals can often be reunited with their human companions by matching a lost report with a found report.

IF YOU ARE IN ISRAEL

• If you lost your companion animal or you found a lost or homeless kitten or dog without ID

• Post the animal's information on animal-related forums, in Tapuz and Nana, for example (Tapuz and Nana forums are in Hebrew):

http://www.tapuz.co.il/tapuzforum/main/forumpage.asp?id=360 (animal rights forum)

http://www.tapuz.co.il/forums2008/forumPage.aspx?forumId=16 (cat forum)

http://www.tapuz.co.il/forums2008/forumPage.aspx?forumId=708 (dog forum)

http://forums.nana10.co.il/Forum/?ForumID=1935 (Nana companion animals forum)

http://forums.nana10.co.il/Forum/?ForumID=2028 (Nana cats forum)

• Post the animal's information with services that record lost animals:

Emergency Search — an information service at veterinarians' clinics and pet stores that lists reports of lost animals: 03-6136677

"Moked chai" — a 24-hour service that lists lost animals: 03-6485959

Animal shelters (such as the SPCA in Tel Aviv: 03-5136500) and municipal pounds in your area

Following is a listing of some municipal pounds:

Tel Aviv 03-6990362, 03-6990533

Rishon LeZion 03-9641108

Ramat HaSharon 03-5496623

Ramat Gan, Givatayim, Bnei Brak 03-6312222

Ra'anana 09-7431425

Petach Tikva 03-9393647

Netanya 09-8333837

Lod-Ramla 08-9255127

Jerusalem 02-5816576, 02-5827542

Herzliya 09-9554027

Haifa 04-9561315

Hadera 04-6331675

Ahisemeh 050-5799228

To identify the municipal veterinarian for any area not listed above, click the following link and type the city, town, village, or regional council you are seeking information about. The name of the relevant veterinarian will appear:

http://www.vtr.moag.gov.il/vtr/DogCenter/search_rofe.asp (Hebrew)

    If you found an injured animal, or your animal is injured

Take the animal to a veterinarian. See below for a list of clinics open evenings, weekends, and holidays:

Gush Dan veterinarian on duty (Geha junction), 03-9232020. Weekends and holidays, open 24 hours. Offers a 66% discount for homeless animals (call first to ask if the discount is still in effect).

Be'er Sheva Veterinary Hospital (Tel Sheva junction), 08-6460514

Beit Dagan Veterinary Hospital (connected to Israel's Veterinary School), 03-9688588

Hakfar Hayarok veterinarian on duty, 03-6495050

Herzliya Medical Center, Ben Gurion Street #26, 1-800-380080

Ramat Gan Animal Medical Center (Dr. Sheiner), Habonim Street #5 (Sat. 10:00-12:00, 17:00-19:00), 03-7527778

Ramat Gan Companion Animal Medical Center (Dr. Smadar Tal), Arlozerov Street #52. (Sat 10:00-14:00), 03-6734407