Lost your pet?

Lost your pet?
July is Lost Pet Prevention Month
CNY SPCA offers tips on making sure your dog
and cat stay safe and at home

The July 4th holiday is one of the busiest times for lost animals being found as strays and turned into shelters. Central New York SPCA is celebrating National Lost Pet Prevention Month by offering tips on preventing your cat or dog from getting lost and how to find them if they do.

“It is scary for everyone – the animals and the owners – when a pet gets lost or wanders off,” said Troy Waffner, CEO of CNYSPCA. “We take in a lot of strays around the July fourth holiday because dogs and cats get spooked by fireworks and our goal is to reunite every one of them with their owners.”

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, around 6.5 million companion animals enter animal shelters each year. Many of these animals are pets that have gotten lost or wandered off. According to national statistics, animal control officials see at least a 30 percent increase in lost pets each year around the July 4th holiday.

CNYSPCA tips for preventing a lost pet:

  • Stay inside and keep the furkids leashed: Keeping pets indoors or leashed if they are outdoors during holiday picnics and celebrations can be crucial to avoiding pets running off through an open gate or during fireworks.  
  • Create a safe place for your pet: When pets get anxious they often try to flee to a safe place like a kennel, crate or closet. Set up an area in these comfortable, quiet spaces away from windows (so they cannot see the fireworks) with their treats, toys and blankets. This can also include playing soft music for your pet to assist in calming them.
  • Get a collar with tags and microchip your pet: Make sure that your pet has their name tags and licenses on their collar and if possible microchip your pet. The first thing many animal control officials do when they pick up a stray is to scan the animal for a microchip so that they can return it to the owner.
  • Act normal. One of the most important things you can do is act normal. Your pet takes cues from you and it will help keep your pet calm if you go about your normal routine, talking and playing with your dog normally.

If your pet becomes lost contact local shelters to see if any strays have been turned in, go onto lost pet webpages (https://www.facebook.com/cnyspcalostandfound/), contact your neighbors and hang up pictures around the neighborhood.

“It is a tragedy when we get a pet that was lost and cannot reunite them with their families and just doing a few simple things will help make sure that furry family members are always with us,” Waffner commented.