People come across lost animals all the time. Driving to work, spending time at a park, even while camping! Here is a comprehensive description of what you can do when you find a lost animal, and what their life looks like once they come into our care.
Initial Assessment
When you find a lost animal, be sure to take note of several details before moving them:
Is the animal wearing a collar? If they will let you get close enough to read it, try reaching out to their owner directly. This will save time for both you and their owner if the animal is returned to their care before entering the doors of JHACC.
Is the animal sick or injured? The outdoors can be a harsh place for pets by themselves, and injuries are likely to happen given enough time alone. Animals who are injured may respond negatively to human intervention, so it’s important to assess the situation before attempting to touch the animal. If the animal is limping, bleeding, vomiting, swaying, or displaying other signs of neurological stress, be sure to note that when bringing them to our facility or when returning them to their owner.
Be sure to note where the animal was found, the more specific the better. This helps us when reuniting them with their families, and is a valuable tool to include in our records.
Bring them in, or contact help
If you can safely pick up the animal or put it into a vehicle, they can be transported directly to our facility. Calling ahead can be helpful, but is not required for a stray animal. Garfield County no longer offers an animal control division, so for additional assistance you will need to reach out to local law enforcement.
When it comes to skittish strays, sometimes it is best to lure them into a trap or request help. They may try to avoid capture at all costs, even running into dangerous situations. Feral cats especially do best with live cat traps, which JHACC can lend out thanks to our Trap Neuter Return program. It is important to remember that animals who are fearful and under stress may respond aggressively when cornered or trapped, request help with any situation that feels unsafe. For additional information on feral cat policies and any assistance JHACC may be able to provide, contact our front desk directly by emailing: info@jhacc.org
In JHACC Custody
Once an animal has been brought to our facility, we have the Good Samaritan fill out paperwork stating where they found the animal and their contact information. This is necessary for our records. Our Operations team will then do an intake assessment of the animal, checking for a microchip or any other identifiable information. The animal will then be given dewormer, as well as necessary vaccinations. Dogs receive Bordatella and Parvo or Distemper vaccinations; while cats receive a vaccination against Feline Respiratory Disease. Due to PACFA licensing, this is required. JHACC cannot legally provide Rabies vaccinations without the consent of an owner. Those vaccinations may be foregone if the animals are already showing up to date on their vaccinations in our system.
If the animal is familiar to us and shows up in our database, we will contact their owner directly to come pick them up. If they are not in our files, we post a photo and general location of where the animal was found on Facebook to hopefully get ahold of their owners.
Onward to Adoption
When an animal is not redeemed from our facility by their owner within the time of our mandated Stray Hold, they will be evaluated for health and behavior by our veterinarian and operations team. After evaluation, the animal may be made available for adoption if it is in good health and with a temperament which is safe for the community as a whole.
DISCLAIMER: This post has been reviewed by any pertinent staff members of JHACC. Artificial Intelligence has in no way been used to create this content, and it is considered correct to the best of our knowledge as of the date of publication.
