IF YOU HAVE LOST A PET:

• It is important that you act immediately, as time is critical. 
• Search your property and neighborhood thoroughly.  Cats and small dogs can get into tiny spaces.   Look behind, under, and inside your appliances and furniture.   Check your roof, attic and trees for cats.    
• Check with everyone you come across to see if they have seen your pet, including the postman, newspaper deliverer, meter reader, pool men, gardeners, trash collectors, school crossing guards.   Give them a lost flyer with a picture of your missing pet and ask them to call you if they see your pet.   Knock on doors, as a neighbor may have found your pet and is holding onto it for a period of time.
• Post flyers with the pets photo and your number.    Do not write too much, people need to be able to see the photo and the telephone number.   Do not put your name or address.   If you offer a reward, don't specify the amount.   You may also include if the pet needs medications.    Be sure to post flyers at all local intersections, businesses, and veterinary offices.   Post at each entrance and exit of all nearby neighborhoods at eye level.  REPOST every few days as the flyers are regularly removed by city workers.
• Contact all local and all 24 hour veterinary emergency rooms to see if your pet has been brought in injured.          Advanced Critical Care in Tustin is at 949-654-8950.  Orange County Emergency Pet Clinic is in Garden Grove at 714-537-3032   Orange County Emergency Pet Clinic is in La Habra at 714-441-2925 VCA All Care is in Fountain Valley at 714-963-0909.  Crown Valley Animal Care Center is in Laguna Niguel at 949-495-1123
• Run an ad in the lost section of the newspaper.   The OC Register is 714-796-7000.  The Daily Pilot is 714-966-4600.    Call your local Pennysaver.
• Words of warning:   NEVER respond to a "found" pet contact alone.  Take someone with you and arrange to meet in a public place.   Don't invite the person to your home.  Be on the alert for money scams.  Use the identifying information you have withheld about your pet.  If the person who claims to have found your pet cannot describe these features to you,  it's possible they don't have your pet!
• Check all local shelters at least every day or two.  Most shelters will only hold onto lost pets for 4 days if there is no ID tag or microchip, or 7-10 days if there is an ID tag or microchip.   Do not assume that if your pet had a collar or ID tag, that you will be called.  Many times collars come off while a pet is missing.   Be sure to ask shelter staff about animals that are being treated in areas of the shelter that are not available to the public for viewing.  Be persistent.  Some animals take days to weeks to months to show up at shelters, even years in some cases!   
• Visit all local animal control shelters within your county.  Sometimes a well meaning person may take a pet to another shelter that they believe is a no kill shelter.  Others may take the pet hometo a different area, then lose it.
• If your pet has a microchip, notify the microchip company, and make sure that your microchip registration information is up to date, with current contact phone numbers. 
• Leave a description of your lost pet and your contact information with the AAL Helpline at 714-891- PETS or 714-891-7387. Include the area and date your pet was lost.  AAL will contact you if someone calls with a found pet matching your pets description.

ORANGE COUNTY SHELTERS:

Orange County Animal Care Services in Orange 714-935-6848   

Photos of incoming animals are uploaded every 30 minutes on their website www.ocpetinfo.com

Mission Viejo Animal Shelter                                                  949-470-3045 

San Clemente/Dana Point Animal Services                         949-492-1617

Irvine Animal Care Center serves Irvine 949-724-7740

Costa Mesa City Animal Control                                             714-754-5311

Laguna Beach Animal Shelter                                                949-497-3552

Newport Beach/Corona Del Mar Animal Control                 949-644-3717

Orange County Humane Society in Huntington Beach        714-536-8480

   This shelter takes in lost animals from Westminster

Westminster Animal Control                          714-898-3315

Santa Ana Animal Control                                                      714-245-8792

Seal Beach Animal Care Center                                             562-430-4993

ONLINE RESOURCES FOR LOST & FOUND PETS, INCLUDING POSTING PET INFORMATION:

www.dogdetective.com, www.find-a-pet.org, www.lostandfound.com, www.lostdogsdatabase.com, www.missingpets.com, www.petrecovery.com, www.petfinder.org, www.pet-detective.com, www.awolpet.com