Lost or found an animal?

To advertise lost/found pets on SF, click here

Updated April 08

If you find a wandering dog, the first place to contact is

the dog warden - (0114) 203 7410. The lines are currently open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Outside of these hours there is a recorded message with an out-of-hours number. For dogs outside of Sheffield: search for contact details here

Found dogs can be taken to the council pound at Spring Street (the old RSPCA premises with the large mural on its back wall) - phone to let them know you're coming as the building is secure. Spring Street is currently available for accepting dogs from 8am to 10pm.

You can keep the dog yourself for a holding period of a few weeks (the dog pound will advise how long the holding period is) this is to give the owner a chance to claim the dog back, but the dog will not become yours until the holding period is over.

The found dog must be registered officially with the dog warden, you cannot legally just keep it or try to find it a new home.

Other agencies to contact are:

http://www.doglost.co.uk 01302 743361

The local vets - there's a chance the vet's staff may recognise a dog who is undergoing regular treatment, but they can also scan the dog for a microchip

The RSPCA do not take stray dogs, but you can read their advice here

The local police do not take lost/stray dogs, or reports of them any more - you'll be directed to the dog warden service if you call them

If you are able to take a digital photo of a dog you have found, then please do!

Doglost will appreciate a photo to assist in reuniting the dog via their website, or a photo can be emailed to the Dog Warden service (via the general enquiries desk) at firstpoint@sheffield.gov.uk if you are contacting them about a dog you have seen but have not captured

If you can, put posters up in the area where you found the dog.

If you don't want to put your own phone number on the poster, put the web address http://www.doglost.co.uk, providing you've already registered the dog with them. A better suggestion would be to use a new simcard which you later discard. Half a dozen posters should be enough for a frantic owner to spot on an area search.

Doglost also have helpers who can arrange postering of an area, if they think it would be helpful.

Other tips - please don't feed the dog unless it is absolutely necessary. You cannot tell if it has any food intolerances, and sudden changes in diet can have unpleasant side effects!

If you need to keep a dog overnight - be aware that a dog you have found on the streets may not mix well with your pets, so introduce them carefully - preferably on neutral territory, and isolate them if possible. Ensure you are not introducing problems such as fleas or mange to your own pets.

Never allow your children free access to a dog you do not know. Restrain the dog carefully, and ensure children stay calm in it's presence. A dog in unfamiliar territory may be less confident than usual, and may react aggressively if it feels threatened by sudden movements or noises.

If you find that your dog is in the pound please remember there will be fees and charges to pay when collecting your dog. Check the Sheffield Council website for up to date reclamation charges.

If your dog is missing, you can also contact environmental services to check he/she hasn't been collected from an RTA (0114) 273 4567

Get your dog chipped!!!!

The RSPCA do chipping (sometimes free at specific event days )

Ring 0114 289 8050

The dog warden also do chipping

Ring Sheff City Council main switchboard 0114 203 7410 and ask for an appointment for microchipping

Microchipping is NOT a substitute for collar tagging. Tagging with YOUR name and address is a legal requirement. Your dog can be more quickly and easily returned to you by its finder if it has a readable tag

Here's the cat version of the above advice.

Cats aren't covered in law in the same way that dogs are, so there is no service such as the Dog Warden to turn to if you find a cat. Cover to help out your moggie in distress is likely to come from the voluntary sector unless cruelty is involved.

Before you even think about contacting someone to help you with a 'lost' cat please try to ascertain whether the cat is in fact lost or homeless. Lots of cats enjoy visiting people and exploring their area, and many are also extremely good actors (I've had to tell my neighbours not to believe a word that one of mine miaows, because I do in fact feed him every day- and he hasn't been abandoned). It's also possible that a cat that looks ill could be a perfectly happy and well cared for animal, undergoing veterinary treatment for a known illness (and removing them from their home could actually be detrimental to the continuing treatment).

OK- so you've satisfied yourself that the cat you have found isn't a local resident that's having a mosey about.

Your choice as to what you do in the short term about the cat is going to come down to your assessment of the risks that are facing the cat. If this is a healthy, normal weight cat that 'looks lost' then you may have some time to get them sorted out (assessing if the cat belongs to new neighbours before whipping them off to a rescue centre, for instance), but if they are ill, injured, very young, very old, pregnant or with kittens, or in a dangerous place then obviously you have to act quickly and any cat in dangers such as these becomes a priority for any of the rescue centres.

Information that would be helpful to whoever you speak to includes:

• a physical description of the cat to the best of your ability
  
• knowledge of whether the cat is wearing a collar, and a description of this if one is being worn (along with taking the collar off or turning it over to see if there are any contact details written on the inside of the collar)
  
• accurate details of the location and the time that the cat has been found
  
• knowledge of whether the cat is friendly and can be picked up without specialist equipment
  

If the cat is obviously injured or suffered deliberate cruelty, then your first point of contact should be the RSPCA on 0870 5555 999. The RSPCA are the only organisation with the legal power to seize an animal, but they are unlikely to offer help to you if the cat is not an 'at risk' case.

If the cat is a typical 'lost moggie in distress' then these are the other places that will try to offer help.

The Sheffield Cats Shelter- 272 4441. http://www.thesheffieldcatsshelter.org/

The wardens try to answer all calls between 1.30 and 4.00 daily. The Shelter also operate a Lost and Found register so may be able to use the information about your foundling to reunite them with their owners.

Thornberry Animal Sanctuary- 01909 564399.

Cats Protection- national helpline 08702 099 099

Wath Animal Rescue- 01709 876658

Barnsley Animal Rescue Centre- 01226 746344

If the cat is injured and needs emergency treatment before the RSPCA can get to you, it's also useful to know about the PDSA hospital on Newhall Road (just off Attercliffe). They're available 24 hours a day and will offer treatment to animals that aren't yours without asking you to have bottomless pockets.

PDSA- helpline 2433232

24 hour emergency number 2427308

All rescue centres have a scanner that will enable them to check the cat for a microchip, or alternatively you could ask your local vet's surgery to do it (assuming you can get the cat into a basket safely of course!)- they aren't likely to charge you for this.

Additional resources

Cat Chat is a website with lots of contact details for local and national animal charities and rescue centres, including pedigree rescue organisations http://www.catchat.org/

Missing Pets Bureau- 08701 999 999 is a facility for registering and publicising animals that have been microchipped and gone missing

www.missingpetsbureau.com

Take a look on the RSPCA website where there is a list of found cats here.

You could also try putting posters up around your area and calling your local vets to see if anyone's reported a cat missing locally to them.

Exactly the same advice applies with regards to feeding cats and bringing them into your home as with dogs. Be aware that scared cats are frequently pretty sharp and spiky things, so anything you can do to reduce their stress level by keeping them calm will be a help. If you are committing to help a lost cat you may find that you need to keep them for a day or two before the charities can catch up with you, so you may need to feed them, but keep it bland (something like a standard tinned chicken flavour food- but not too much!- a quarter of a can is enough, even if they're starving- more and they're likely to gorge themselves and be sick), and remember to offer a bowl of water (not milk!).

Oh- and one more thing- don't forget to put a litter tray somewhere convenient and private for the cat's use if you do take them into your home!

A horrible addition to this thread I know but sometimes sadly necessary the number for street force is 01142736530, they can tell you whether your pet has been picked up by them after a road accident, they should scan for a microchip but do keep on asking as well.

Lost and Found Rabbits

Although there are not a great deal of resources available for rabbits that have been lost or found there are some basic steps that can be taken to try and secure their safe return.

Firstly if you discover your rabbit is missing search the area thoroughly. An animal that is ill, injured or scared will go into hiding so check under bushes, cars, behind sheds and in holes etc. Look anywhere which is secluded and out of the way. Also check your neighbours gardens and especially those of anyone who owns a rabbit in your area.

In case bunny finds his own way home it is important to leave the hutch open with a supply of food and water inside. If your rabbit lives indoors leave a familiar box outside, in a safe place, also with food and water.

The next step is to notify the following people, preferrably with a picture and description of your rabbit:

• The Local Vets
  
• The RSPCA, Sheffield 0114 2727542/ Bawtry 01302 71979
  
• Happy Hoppers 07852 192703
  
• Thornberry Animal Sanctuary 01909 564399
  
• Barnsley Small Animal Sanctuary 01226 741002
  
• Artis Animal Sanctuary (Doncaster) 01302 857104
  
• Your local newspaper, if it has a lost and found section
  

Also check http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/lostandfound.asp to see if anyone has found your rabbit. You can email them a a listing describing your rabbit with details of where it went missing and a picture if possible.

If you still fail to find your rabbit put up posters in the local vets, newsagents and petshops. Also continue to check the sanctuaries as new animals come in everyday. It is worth checking all the sanctuaries as when no room is available at the local sanctuary they may be taken in further afield.

If you find a rabbit:

• Take it indoors and put it into a suitable box
  
• Offer it food and water***
  
• Notify the RSPCA, Local Vets and Thornberry (or your nearest) animals sanctuary
  
• Place a found listing on Rabbitrehome and check to see if it has been reported lost
  

If you are able to hold onto the rabbit until its owners have been found then please do so but be aware that many rabbits are unfortunatly released into the wild every year and it may simply have been abandoned. In this instance, unless you wish to adopt the rabbit it is best to surrender it to the RSPCA or a sanctuary for rehoming. If it requires vetinary treatment contact the RSPCA or local rescue center straight away, if it is critically injured they may ask you to take it to the vets and reimburse you for the cost when they collect it.

***

If you see loose horses and are not experienced, then do not approach, they can be extremely unpredictable more so when frightened and disorientated. and serious injury can occur.

Contact your normal police station to report, so that they can assist in traffic management. and prevent a collision.

Also please contact South Yorkshire Police Mrs Joanne Kennedy 0114 2964152 Equine Liason Officer to report, in case they have been stolen. Please make a note of colour, any markings and if they are freezemarked ( a number branded on the saddle area or shoulder).

Contact local animal sancturies, who usually will assist with capture and come armed with a horsebox.

as follows:

WATH ANIMAL RESCUE

Town End Allotments, Barnsley Rd, Wath-upon-Dearne, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S636

Tel: 01709 876658

THORNBERRY ANIMAL SANCTUARY

The Stables

Todwick Road

North Anston

01909 564399

The Mill House Animal Sanctuary,

Mayfield Road,Fulwood,

Sheffield

0114 2302907

If you find a ferret:

1) Approach with caution. If he/she is scared they try to bite and hard.

2) When picking up hold firmly so they feel safe / or scruff them firmly if u think it may bite you.

3) Put them in a secure environment they can`t escape ie cat box or a hutch

4) If possible get them to a vets to find out if anyones reported them lost and to get them scanned for a microchip( chipping ferrets is becoming more and more common)

5) If you are going to keep it safe whilst looking for the owner make sure it has plenty of warm things to snuggle into

6) Fresh water needs to be available at all times ( more in summer )

7) Do not feed dog food it will give them runs

8.) If you can get them some ferret food if not cat biscuits will do as a temporary substitute

9) milk can give them the runs

10) eggs are ok for a treat 1 only as it can make them ill

if in doubt please contact us and ask for advise.

If you find a ferret please contact us as we now re home lost and found ferrets. Or our ferret forum is at the bottom for advice and tips. Pls pm us to for any other info.

if planning to buy a new ferrets please see this post :

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=236824

The RSPCA has a list of found animals, and can be seen here.

For pigeons found with a leg ring contact http://www.homingpigeons.co.uk/lostpigeon.htm to find the owner.