What to do if you have lost your pet...

Pick Up the Phone!

Immediately contact local animal control shelters and private rescues to file a report. Most shelters are only required to keep strays 3-5 days before they can be euthanized, so it is vital that you act quickly. You should also check shelters in surrounding counties and contact local veterinarians since many of them keep lost & found logs. -- Please see bottom of page for important numbers.

Check for yourself:

Walk the neighborhood, knock on doors and leave your number with your neighbors. Most people walk the streets around their home and call for their pet. Since a well-meaning person may take a ‘stray’ animal into their home, people who knock on doors are more likely to get results. Visit your local shelters and see for yourself whether or not your animal is there, and keep checking back.

Post Flyers:

Hand out flyers with your pet's picture and your phone number. Post the flyers in your neighborhood and in high traffic areas such as local vet offices, supermarkets, drug stores, dry cleaners; anywhere people can see it (always ask first!). Mail handlers are a great resource for finding lost pets. Be sure to post one at the animal control shelter and local private rescues. Make an easy, free flyer by clicking here.

The combination of these three things is most effective. Knocking on doors and handing out copies of your flyer to your neighbors and to the staff at all the local shelters is the most effective way of looking for your lost pet.

When you speak with the animal control officers:

Give detailed information about any special markings, or a picture with your name and number. They see thousands of animals, so go check the shelter yourself- don’t rely on a phone call. Also ask if they have found deceased animals matching your pet’s description. This is a very sad but necessary task.

The Newspaper:

Check the found ads in the newspaper every day. Most people caring enough to pick up a stray will place an ad in the paper to get him back home.

Run an ad in the local newspaper. Include as much information as possible and a photo if your budget allows and also check the following web sites for postings.

Resources:

Nashville Pet Finders

7221 Highway 70 South
Suite 404
Nashville, TN 37221
www.nashvillepetfinders.com

Petfinder.com Classifieds

www.petfinder.com

Humane Society of Sumner County

16 Volunteer Drive
Hendersonville, TN
(615) 822-0061
www.sumnerhumane.org

Hendersonville City - Animal Control

Hendersonville, TN
(615) 264-5355

Sumner County Animal Control

1033 Old Union School Road
Gallatin, TN
(615) 452-2400

Portland City - Animal Control

123 Morningside Drive
Portland, TN
(615) 325-5330

Pet Center - Pet Emergency Service

Rivergate, Goodlettsville, TN
(615) 859-3778

Cheatham County - Animal Control

2791 Sams Creek Road
Pegram, TN 37143
(615) 792-3647

Davidson County - Health Department, Animal Control

5125 Harding Place
Nashville, TN 37211
(615) 862-7928

Humane Alliance Animal Shelter

Murfreesboro, TN 37130
(615) 907-7093

Humane Association of Wilson County

Lebanon, TN 37088-0247
(615) 444-1144

Wilson County Animal Control

378 Dump Road
Lebanon, TN 37087
(615) 444-9775

Lebanon City - Animal Control

406 Tennessee Boulevard
Lebanon, TN 37087
(615) 444-0825

Nashville Humane Association

213 Oceola Avenue
Nashville, TN 37209
(615) 352-1010

Robertson County - Animal Control

507 Industrial Drive
Springfield, TN 37172
(615) 384-5611