Training Academy

Finding a pet who has lost their humans is an all-too-common occurrence! Fortunately, there are some easy steps you can take to keep you, your pets, and the found pet safe!

First, thank you for being a good neighbor and helping this pet! We understand that not everyone can keep found pets at their home, and you shouldn’t feel guilty if you cannot!  Found pets present risks to humans and other pets!  It’s always best to error on the side of safety!  If you cannot host the pet, contact Animal Control or find a friend or neighbor who can.  Please do not release them!

Keep Safe - Please be safe while interacting with the pet. Remember that you do not know its vaccination status! Keep other pets and children away from the found pet. Do not interact with the pet more than necessary. Wash your hands following any contact. Report any and all bites to Animal Control.  Rabies is real and very dangerous plus there are many contagious diseases that can easily spread to other pets and people!

Check for a Chip - Bring the pet to your local veterinary clinic.  We all have scanners to check for microchips.  Microchips make it MUCH easier to get a pet back home but aren’t perfect!  We can also help look up the microchip’s information and contact the owner, if possible.  Most veterinary clinics will also take some steps to try and post the found-pet’s picture and information to help get them home.

Personal Information & Safety - We won't share your information with the pet's owners. If the pet's owners reach out to us, we will get their permission to provide you with their contact information. We encourage you to take any and all precautions you feel appropriate before interacting with the owners including blocking your phone number; meeting in a safe, public place; and not meeting them alone. Be safe! If you feel unsafe meeting with the people, local authorities have established "Safe Sell Spots" where exchanges can be made in a safe environment. You can find more information on safetradespot.com.

File a Found Pet Report - It is critical that you file a Found Pet Report with the county. If you found the pet near the county line, you may wish to file a report with both Polk and Osceola Counties. Search on Google for "[County name] Animal Control" or "[County name] found pet." Please make sure to follow the directions given to you by the county. Included in this information is how many days you must wait prior to keeping or rehoming the pet.

Follow us on social media - For most pets, we will share the pet's information on social media. We encourage you to "turn on notifications" for this post to monitor if anyone responds saying they are the owners. Our social media pages are not actively monitored most of the time and rarely monitored during non-operating hours.

Ask for Proof of Ownership - When reuniting the pet with the owners, you may wish to ask for proof of ownership. We would suggest asking for pictures of the pet. Simply put, who doesn't have pictures of their pet on their phone or social media accounts? If the owners reached out via social media, you may also wish to look at their profile for proof of ownership.

Be Careful Judging - Please remember that pets get out from even the best of owners. Even in just a short time, the pet can get dirty, covered in all sorts of things, and appear uncared for. Just imagine how dirty a pet might be who just dug under a fence ten minutes earlier!  We recommend keeping all interactions civil and polite. Remember that the State treats pets as property so withholding them could be a criminal act!  If you believe the pet isn't being appropriately cared for, then anyone has the right to report that to Animal Control. We do NOT recommend anyone investigating the matter themselves. Leave it to the professionals at the Sheriff's Office.

Again, thank you for helping the pet!  It’s Good Samaritans like you who help reunite lost humans with their found pets!