Found a pet?
It’s unfortunate that East Baton Rouge Parish has so many loose animals, but it is important to think of them as lost, not strays! Most of the animals found are loose and have a family that is looking for them. CAA strongly encourages waiting 48 hours before bringing an animal to the shelter and attempting to locate the owner during that time. Only ~10% of the animals that enter the shelter will be reunited with their families. YOU are this animal's best advocate and best chance to find its family! We have compiled a short guide on how you can best try to reunite animals with their owner or rehome them if no owner is found.
Look around.
Could this animal have wandered away from their home? Most lost pets are found in the general vicinity of their homes.
Canvas the neighborhood–walk or drive around the area where you found this pet. If you are comfortable, knock on the doors of the nearby houses and see if someone recognizes this pet.
Look for any missing pet flyers posted in the neighborhood/on the Nextdoor app. Check found/lost pet social media pages on Facebook.
Have the pet scanned for a microchip
Most veterinary offices will assist you with scanning an animal for a microchip at no charge. If you are unable to locate a veterinary office, swing by the shelter and we would be happy to scan the animal for a microchip. Taking the animal to a facility with a microchip scanner is a quick process that could possibly produce the owner’s information almost instantly. Microchips are located under the skin so there is always a chance of a pet being microchipped even if they have no other form of identification.
Post a picture of the pet
Include with that photo the area in which the pet was found (as specific as possible), if the pet is a male/female, any distinguishing marks the pet may have, etc. Not everyone has access to the internet/social media, so posting flyers throughout the neighborhood (at local shops, libraries, dog parks, veterinary offices, community centers, pet stores, etc.) increases the likelihood of finding the pet’s owner. Be sure to include the best way for an owner to contact you. You can also advertise a FREE 3-line found pet ad in the Advocate by calling 225-383-0111. This will target a different audience than social media. There are several websites/social media platforms that can be utilized for lost/found pets:
Petco Love Lost–This website uses photos to automatically match found animals with missing animal reports. https://lost.petcolove.org/found-pet-101
Lost and Found Pet Facebook pages–Lost Pets of Baton Rouge, Lost Pets of Zachary, Lost Pets of Central, and Baton Rouge Lost and Found Pets
Nextdoor App and the Nextdoor Group: Lost and Found Pets of Baton Rouge
Only roughly 10% of animals that enter the shelter will be found by their owners. In 2022 CAA took in ~9,000 animals and only ~900 of those animals were returned to their owners. YOU are this animal’s best advocate!
Please email intake@caabr.org if you have any questions or concerns!
