Lost a Pet?
Report
Report your missing pet and search for a match on Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database where shelters and neighbors post found pets.
Look Around
Look around the area where your pet was lost. Create LOST PET signs and hang them as you walk around the neighborhood.
Share
Share your Petco Love Lost flyer on social platforms, including your local lost and found pets Facebook groups.
Reach out to friends, family, and neighbors
Ask friends, family, and neighbors to help you search the radium within a mile of your home. 80% of lost pets are found within a mile of where they live so your pet has probably not gone far.
Visit the shelters
Visit our animal shelter(s), and other nearby humane societies, and/or animal control agencies daily to look for your pet and monitor found reports online. Make sure you physically visit the shelters. Phone calls are not effective.
More Resources
Finding a Lost Pet
Did you know that in the State of Texas, you lose the ownership of your pets if you do not claim them within 72 hours? Do not delay in searching for a missing pet. Micro-chipping your pets increases your chances of getting them back by over 40%! Most shelters scan animals at intake. Make sure you call your micro-chip company if your pet is chipped to alert them the pet is lost. Also, be sure to double check the contact information they have on file for you.
When you search websites for a lost pet, keep the criteria vague. Do not refine searches by breed or even color to allow room for error. The shelter staff, rescue, or good Samaritan entering the information in the database is simply guessing at breed and may not describe your pet in the way you would.
Internet searching is helpful, but it does not replace physically going to the shelters and looking for the animal yourself. Do not call and take the staff's word that your pet is not there as they stay very busy and again, may not view the animal in the same way you do.
Resources for Reuniting Lost and Found Pets
CAP Lost and Found Pets Report
Lost Dogs of America The Center for Lost Pets
If you find a lost pet...
Always have the animal scanned for a microchip. This can be done at almost any veterinary clinic or shelter as well as some other pet related businesses and fire stations. Here is a link to a universal microchip lookup tool...
AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup
If you find the chip is not registered, ask the chip company who originally purchased it and follow up with them directly to see if they can assist. This will generally be a veterinary clinic, rescue, or shelter, and some of these organizations may be willing to take the animal back, if necessary.
If you run into a dead-end chip, request the assistance of a microchip tracker here...
Found a Pet?
Report
Report the found pet and search for a match on Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database where pets reported as lost.
Check
Check to see if the pet has a microchip or tag and get in touch with the owner.
Walk
Walk or drive around the area where you found the pet. Create FOUND pet signs you can hang in the area.
Share
Share your Petco Love Lost flyer on social platforms, including your local lost and found pets Facebook groups.
Make an Appointment at Your Local Shelter
If you have held the pet and not been able to find the owner, or if you are unable to hold the pet, you can consider an animal shelter. Visit the shelter's website for intake procedures. We do not advise to just show up at the shelter with the pet. Many shelter only do intake by appointment. If you find a pet after business hours and the animal is sick, injured, or posing a threat to public safety, please call 911 if it is an emergency or the non-emergency line for your local law enforcement agency.
Moving with Pets & Pet Friendly Housing
Useful Info in Moving with Pets
Please take your pet into consideration when moving. Cats and dogs can be moved even out of state. You just need to do a little planning. Your planning will save your pet's life. Moving is not a reason to put your pet at risk of being killed at the local shelter.
Here are some links to resources in helping you move with your pet:
FINDING A PET FRIENDLY APARTMENT
MORE TIPS FOR MOVING WITH PETS
Resources for Re-homing a Pet
Texas Litter Control's primary mission is to provide low-cost Veterinary care to the public. Our goal is to prevent unwanted litters of kittens and puppies and to help people with affordable medical care for their pets. These much-needed services keep pets out of our shelters. We have many auxiliary life-saving programs. If you are considering giving up your pet, please contact a shelter intervention specialist for help. Visit HelpMeKeepMyPet.com.
Here are some helpful resources and tips in re-homing pets. Make sure you remind adopters to spay/neuter:
Use the following websites to list your pet for adoption. Make sure you put up lots of cute pictures and a good description of your pet!
- https://home-home.org/rehome/
- https://rehome.adoptapet.com/list-a-pet/step-1
- https://rehomeyourpets.com/
- https://www.facebook.com/groups/houstonadopt/
- https://www.howimetmydog.com/
- https://pet-net.net/request/
- Post to Craigslist and Nextdoor
Post to your personal social media accounts. Make sure you post lots of cute photos.
Join the Houston Area Cats & Kittens Facebook group for help locating rescue groups. Here is the link to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1231519433694350/
You will hear all kinds of crazy urban myths when re-homing pets. We have formal applications, interviews and contracts and nothing in life is full proof. One thing is certain... our shelters cannot handle the current capacity and you re-homing a pet is much safer than turning it into a shelter!!!!! ALL local shelters are SERIOUSLY OVER CAPACITY. They have no choice other than to euthanize animals. YOU CAN HELP them by getting creative and re-homing these animals on your own. The animals are all of our responsibilities. Rescuing is not just picking an animal up and dumping it on someone else.
Resources for Rehoming a Pet
Houston Area Cats & Kittens (HACK) | Facebook
Houston Area Dogs - Foster/Rescue/Community Outreach | Facebook
We understand that you cannot always help. Shelters are for extreme situations. They are not for a couple of weeks of inconvenience to a person. Try to re-home first. We hope this gives you a lot to think about and we hope you help spread the word about the current state of our shelters and the animals in our community.
Sincerely,
Deana Love
Founder and Executive Director
Texas Litter Control
FIV is NOT Cat AIDS and is not transmittable to humans!
Texas Litter Control is home to over 20 FIV "positive" cats. Many are adoptable and really need homes. There are many myths surrounding FIV and our goal is to begin reeducating the public about the virus and placing these cats into forever homes.
FIV is the most misunderstood condition for kitties. Unfortunately the most deadly thing about FIV is lack of knowledge of the Veterinary community. So many cats are killed every year for no reason. Properly cared for FIV cats can live a normal lifespan. It is very difficult for a cat to spread FIV. It is highly unlikely for a spayed/neutered cat not forced to fight for food to spread the virus. Our sanctuary does not separate our FIV cats and we have never had a cat spread it. If a cat is exposed to FIV or has had the FIV vaccine, it will cause them to test positive for the disease even if they are not positive!
This website in wonderful in breaking down all of the myths and why FIV is so grossly misunderstood: FIVCats.com. We hope you take the time to read more and help us get these wonderful cats homes.
Please review these case studies. There is finally some research happening for these poor kitties. There are now some good case studies showing it is ok to blend cats testing positive into households with other cats.
FIVCat.com Research Page - 1000's of healthy cats!