RSPCA announces change to lost and found service

The RSPCA is announcing a change in the way that reports of lost and found animals are logged. From 1st December 2013, members of the public will be asked to go to PetsLocated.com if they have lost a pet or found an uninjured stray domestic animal.

From 1st December members of the public who have lost their pet or have found an uninjured stray will be asked to visit the PetsLocated.com website as opposed to calling their local RSPCA branch.

The website, which is already frequently used, allows visitors to register a report of a lost or found animal and can be used to search for a lost pet.

The site will not only benefit members of the public, but will also be used by RSPCA branches and centres who will be able to input the details of any animals which have been found and handed into them, providing a searchable network of stray animals dealt with by the RSPCA.

The RSPCA believe the site will enable more members of the public to be reunited with their lost pets and will also allow the charity more time to deal with injured and mistreated animals.

RSPCA National Control Centre Process and Performance Manager Joanne Backham explains:

“This new way of logging lost and found animals means that our cruelty line will be able to take more calls about sick, injured or suffering animals, helping us to reach the animals who most need our help.”

The charity also believes PetsLocated.com will be hugely beneficial in that it can be used by both the public and the RSPCA team.

Catherine Inglis, founder of Petslocated.com, says:

“As a keen animal lover I have first-hand experience of losing a pet and I know how distressing it can be. The idea of Pets Located.com is to have all lost and found animals in one place. Our automated online matching service aims to reunite pets as quickly as possible with their owners."

“We are extremely proud to be working with the RSPCA and are looking forward to reuniting many more pets with their owners in the coming years.”

PetsLocated.com allows users to register found animals for no cost, however those registering a missing animal are asked to pay a fee of £10+VAT to use the service for 12 months, which includes posting details of the lost pet online and on social media and the facility to create your own ‘lost pet’ poster, as well as giving access to the database of found pets.

People should continue to check with local services such as dog wardens and vets if their pet becomes lost.

The RSPCA also recommends microchipping animals as one of the best ways of being reunited with a pet if it goes missing.

You can find out more at www.petslocated.com.