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Dog

Found a pet?

Please scroll through to view RGVHS's protocal for found pets.

View more resources on our community resources tab!

Finding a homeless pet can be very overwhelming. We are here to help you help the pet you found! Please follow the steps below before you go to the shelter to try to drop off.

FOUND A STRAY?​

​STEP 1:

Check if the pet you have found is wearing identification. This could include a collar, name tags, or rabies tags. Using the contact information on the tag or collar, reach out to the owners or facility.​

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STEP 2:

No collars or any kind of identification? Try walking door to door in the area the pet was found to see if anyone may know the pet. Many found pets are usually picked up near where they live.​

 

STEP 3:

CHECKING FOR CHIP: Bring the pet to the closest vet clinic or animal shelter to be scanned for a microchip. If the pet has a microchip, this will help reunite the pet with their family.​ 

 

STEP 4:

​If the animal is not chipped, submit a found report with RGVHS and the animal control/animal shelter where you found the pet. Please consider holding on to the pet as long as you can, many times lost pets can be reunited with their owners quickly without ever having to come into the shelter. â€‹

STEP 5:

Post a “found” message on as many lost & found pages on social media as possible. Some pages to post on are RGVHS Reunite & Rehome,  Harlingen Lost & Found Pets, Harlingen/San Benito Lost & Found-Pets, RGV Pets, and RGV Reunite Lost Pets. NextDoor App also has a lost pet section. Don’t forget to update if the pet is reunited with its owner! 

  • Utilize lost.petcolove.org

  • ​You can also post flyers around the area or take out an ad in a local newspaper.

What next?

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  • If none of these steps help you locate a pet’s owners, please consider rehoming the pet yourself! A found animal is eligible for rehoming after being reported to the local animal control/shelter where the animal was found and held for the requisite stray period (3 days). After this, if you're interested in keeping the pet you can do so!

  • If you cannot keep the pet yourself, consider reaching out to friends, family, neighbors, or posting on social media and some local rehoming pages.

  • Some pages to post on are RGVHS Reunite & Rehome, Harlingen Lost & Found Pets, Harlingen/San Benito Lost & Found-Pets, RGV Pets, and RGV Reunite Lost Pets.

What if I can not hold on to the pet?- is the animal shelter an option?​

 

BOTH SHELTERS ARE AT MAX CAPACITY- UNABLE TO ACCEPT PHYSICAL DROP-OFFS AT THIS TIME.

 

​How RGVHS can immediately help?

  • We are able to immediately help by offering "intake to foster". This means that the animal will be placed in our foster program, be provided vaccines and treatments, and be made available on our website- all while remaining in your home until they are adopted, transferred to a rescue, or a different foster is found. Physical drop-offs are only an option when space is available.

  •  Following the submission of this form, a member of our team will reach out to you via email. Our team is working diligently to meet your needs, but it could take up to 48 hours before someone reaches out. We will attempt to reach you twice before your application is removed from our database.

  • Click the button's below to request an intake appointment with RGVHS.

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