Do you know what to do when you find a lost dog or cat?  Well, the best chance the animal has to be reunited with his or her family is for you to take the lost pet to the animal control facility that services the area where you found the dog or cat.

Of course, it’s easy to say that, but it’s not always so easy to do.  Not all facilities are run the same way, after all.  Some are better than others and sometimes, we just can’t stop thinking about a heartbreaking story we heard about an animal’s experience in one shelter or another.  Even still, it is critical that you notify the appropriate facility that you have found a lost pet if you want the dog or cat to have the best chance of being reunited with his or her family.

Depending on where you find a lost animal, the locale’s animal control facility may be a shelter, town office, or even the property of a local resident.  Regardless of what it is, it is the responsibility of an animal control facility in Wisconsin to hold a lost pet for seven days before anyone can legally adopt the animal.  Even if you are reluctant to take a dog or cat to a particular facility, if it’s the one that services the area where you found the animal, taking him or her there is the right, responsible thing to do.

In some instances, a location’s animal control facility may allow you to foster the pet you found for the seven day holding period.  If that is the case, make sure you keep adequate records documenting all of your efforts to find the pet’s legal owner(s).  Keep things like receipts, copies of newspaper ads, and flyers you have posted.