If you've lost your pet

Come to the Shelter and look for your pet. The Hawaiian Humane Society is dedicated to helping reunite lost pets and their owners. Through our lost and found service, we help thousands of pets find their way home.

We have found that most families assume their dog is lost if it does not show up for dinner, and they call the Humane Society immediately. Yet cat owners sometimes wait until their pets are gone for a few days before reporting them lost. We urge all pet owners to report missing pets to us immediately. Your quick response can save your pet from suffering if it was brought in with injuries.

Animals wearing identification are held a minimum of nine days before being made available for adoption. Unidentified, lost animals are held a minimum of 48 hours.

If your pet was wearing ID — a microchip, an ID tag or license — that is a very valuable tool to help you in your search.

Found!
When you've found your pet, please notify us. We need to keep our lost and found records current so we can concentrate on pets that are still lost. Also take down the signs you've posted. Inform neighbors who have helped you in your search that your pet is home. If your pet has been "on the streets" for a week or more before coming home, you might want to schedule a visit with your veterinarian for a check-up.

Here are some things you can do:

Search your home thoroughly
Check all areas that are accessible to your pet. Then search around the outside of your home and your neighbors' homes. Especially for cats, check inside appliances, under furniture and in drawers and closets.

Canvas the neighborhood on foot
Search within a quarter-mile radius — day and at night. Injured pets often hide during the day. Check hazardous areas such as open sewers, ditches and vacant lots. Check houses, garages and cars that have been vacated. Lost pets also frequent beaches, parks and other public areas. Tell your neighbors you have lost your pet and ask them to call you if they see your animal.

File a lost animal report — visit the Humane Society in person — and bring a photo
File a lost animal report (PDF document) immediately and then visit the shelter. We're open noon — 8 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. — 4 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Your pet may arrive here just hours after getting lost. He may also be very frightened or injured, so do not wait a few days before checking with us.

Because our interpretation of your animal's description may be different than yours, visiting the shelter at least every other day is very important. If you cannot come, send someone who knows your pet.

If you do not find your pet here on your first visit, fill out a lost report (kept on file for 30 days) and attach a current photo of your pet. We strongly recommend that you continue to visit us regularly. With as many as 200 lost and stray animals arriving daily, you are the one person who can best identify your pet.

Advertise
Put a "lost" ad in the newspaper. Describe your pet, and give details about when and where it was last seen, and where you can be reached. Remember to check the newspaper's "found" ads as well. Call radio stations that air neighborhood information. Post notices in neighborhood markets. Include a description of your pet and, if possible, a picture. Check with the veterinarians in your area. Enlist the help of neighbors, the mail carrier and the newspaper delivery person. Talk to children you know who play in the area, and groups that use any nearby parks.
 
Don't Give Up
Keep looking, especially at the Humane Society. People often keep pets they've found for several days (or weeks!) before bringing them in to the shelter.

Call City & County Dead Animal Pickup
It's very difficult to face the possibility that your pet may have been injured or killed, but it may save you the anguish of not knowing your pet's fate. Call the number for your area:

To check if your animal was found on one of the state freeways, call 831-6714

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Contact: hhs@hawaiianhumane.org • Telephone: (808) 946-2187 • Fax: (808) 955-6034

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