MSPCA-Angell Headquarters

350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130
(617) 522-7400
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Angell Animal Medical Centers – Boston

350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130
(617) 522-7282
angellquestions@angell.org
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Angell West

293 Second Avenue, Waltham, MA 02451
(781) 902-8400
For on-site assistance (check-ins and pick-ups):
(339) 970-0790
angellquestions@angell.org
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Angell at Essex

565 Maple Street, Danvers, MA 01923
(978) 304-4648
essex@angell.org
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Animal Care and Adoption Centers – Boston

350 South Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02130
(617) 522-5055
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Animal Care and Adoption Centers – Cape Cod

1577 Falmouth Road, Centerville, MA 02632
(508) 775-0940
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Animal Care and Adoption Centers – Nevins Farm

400 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844
(978) 687-7453
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Animal Care and Adoption Centers – Northeast Animal Shelter

347 Highland Ave., Salem, MA 01970
(978) 745-9888
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Tips to Find Lost Pets

We’ve compiled this information so you can do everything possible to find your pet. We hope you won’t ever need it — but it is best to be prepared, just in case.

Start Sooner Rather Than Later … And Never Give Up

The sooner you begin looking for your missing pet, the better are your chances of finding him or her.  The important thing to remember is that your pet needs you. It can’t tell you where it is — you are responsible for its safety and rescue. So please don’t give up after a day or two. We recommend that you keep looking for as long as two months if necessary; however, if you follow all of these suggestions, chances are very good that you and you pet will be reunited in a much shorter time.

Notify Humane Agencies and Animal Control

Call — and visit — all of the animal shelters in your area, not just the one closest to home. Remember, people who find animals may drive miles and towns over to bring an animal to a shelter who will take stray animals.

Be sure you give the shelter a good description of your lost pet, and ask them to post your sign or record your loss and the important descriptive information in case your pet is brought there later.  To contact one of our shelters, click here.

Also, notify the local and surrounding city animal control offices. Most facilities only hold stray animals a few days before euthanizing them, so be sure to check there in person often. Look in the local telephone directory in the yellow pages under “animals welfare agencies,” “animal shelters” and “humane societies” if you are not familiar with the ones in your area or visit our Humane Agency and Animal Control Information page.

If your pet has a microchip, be sure to contact the microchip company as well.  Most microchip companies send out alerts of missing pets to shelters.  Additionally, it is important to ensure your contact information is up-to-date with the company, so that if your pet is brought to a shelter and scanned for a microchip, the shelter will be able to contact you.

A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words

Find a recent picture of your pet and bring it with you everywhere on your search. Print photos or make copies of your pet’s picture to give to shelters and neighbors. Remember, shelters can receive several animals a day, and if your pet doesn’t have many distinctive features, a picture will help show the exact coloring and shape of your pet. On the phone, every black cat may sound the same, but in person they all have different features that sometimes only a picture can show.

Tell the World

As soon as possible after losing a pet, you should post flyers to alert the neighborhood. To see how to make a good flyer, visit the Massachusetts Animal Coalition website.

Put a good description and photo of your pet on your sign. Include where and when the pet was lost and a telephone number where you can be reached. Note: You’ll need to reserve at least one identifying mark for positive identification if your pet is found. Don’t put everything in the description. It’s also a good idea to take someone with you if you agree to go to a stranger’s house to identify your pet, or arrange to meet the person — with the pet on a leash or in a secure box or carrier — in a public place. After all, if you are offering a reward, a dishonest person may be hoping you have it with you in cash.

To be effective, you must “blanket” your area with “LOST” signs. If you don’t have access to a copy machine, you should go to a copy machine or a quick print service to have photocopies made. You’ll need a minimum of 200 to 500 signs to cover a several block area effectively, including several blocks in each direction from where your pet was lost. Ask friends to help you post the signs on trees and lampposts. Some businesses will also let you put a sign in their window or inside on a wall or community bulletin board. Don’t forget to include grocery stores, Laundromats, veterinary hospitals, pet shops, and bus stops, as well as other high-traffic areas to reach a lot of people.

Ask for Help

Ask family members, friends, and neighbors to help in your search. The more people helping, the more ground you can cover. Ask everyone you see if they have seen your cat or dog. Most people will try to be helpful; some will watch for or help search for a missing pet if asked to do so. The more teamwork in your search, the better. Also inform your local police; besides being out in the neighborhoods themselves, many people report stray animals to police.

Place Ads in Newspapers and Online

Be sure to place a “Lost” ad in the Lost and Found classified ad section of local newspapers. Also read the “Found” ads in case a caring person has found your pet and is trying to find you. Post to social media networks, and search for websites that allow for lost pet listings.

If the description sounds close, call. Remember, the same animal could be described a lot of different ways. For example, a “tabby” or “tiger” cat may be described as “gray, brown and black” or a black and white animal may be listed as only black.  The only assurance is to call to get more specific information.