The Kauai Humane Society is dedicated to helping reunite lost pets and their owners. Annually, hundreds of lost pets are recovered at the shelter by their worried owners.

The following are a few steps to take in trying to find your lost pet and remember, don't give up looking. Pets sometimes wander for a while before a caring person notices them and alerts us. This is especially true of cats, because people do not automatically think of loose cats as lost and in need of help.

Search your home thoroughly.

Check all areas that are accessible to your pet, inside and outside. Especially for cats, check inside appliances, under furniture, and in drawers and closets.

Canvas the neighborhood on foot.

Search within a quarter-mile radius. Look both during the day and again at night. Injured animals will often hide during the day. Check hazardous areas such as open sewers, ditches, and vacant lots, as your pet may have become trapped there. Tell your neighbors you have lost your pet and ask them to call you if they see it.

Visit the Humane Society in person and bring a photo.

Your pet may arrive here just hours after getting lost. He also may be very frightened or injured, so do not wait a few days before checking with us. Because our interpretation of your animal's description may be different than yours, visiting the shelter at least twice a week is very important. If you cannot come, send someone who knows your pet.
If you do not find your pet here, we will ask you to complete a lost report and attach a current picture. We will attempt to contact you if a pet matching that description is found at the shelter.

Advertise.

Place a "lost" ad in the newspaper and check the "found" ads as well. Describe your pet, and give details about when and where it was last seen, and where you can be reached. Call radio stations that air neighborhood information. Put an ad in the Garden Island newspaper, it's FREE. Check with the veterinarians in your area. Enlist the help of neighbors, the mail carrier, and even children in your neighborhood to keep an eye out for your lost pet.

Don't give up.

Keep looking, especially at the Humane Society. People often keep pets they find for several days (or weeks!) before bringing or reporting them to the shelter.

Found!

When you've found your pet, please notify us. Depending on how long your pet was away from home, you may want to schedule a visit with your veterinarian for a checkup. If you find someone else's lost pet, please contact us immediately so we can help reunite them with their worried owner as quickly as possible.

Avoid the grief of losing your pet.

Make sure your pet is wearing ID! A simple collar and tag can help your neighbor return a lost pet home. For extra security, consider a microchip ID which never falls off. For information about microchips, call your veterinarian or the Society at 632-0610.