Resources for Abbotsford and Mission Pet Parents
Abbotsford Veterinarians
Mission Veterinarians
Other Health and Wellness Services
Dog-Friendly Parks and Trails
Agility and Dog Sports
WHAT TO DO FOR LOST OR FOUND PETS IN ABBOTSFORD
If your pet is missing it is important to do a ground search in the area. Particularly cats will often hide and may not come when called. You may need to look under stairs or a deck, in sheds or garages, check in small nooks and crannies and ask your neighbours to check their yards and sheds. For dark areas use a flashlight to see if you can spot their eyes reflecting light back. If a dog has been spooked and is running they can cover great distances, so it is important to extend your search in that case. Ask your friends and family for assistance with the search. Don't yell out if you think your pet may be scared and hiding. It may be better to just do a visual search, and avoid scaring them with loud noises. And, if your dog has a dog friend bring them along as it could help calm your dog down or come out of hiding if they see and smell their friend.
Who to call for help?
BC SPCA Animal Helpline:
Go to their website ‘I need help with’ section for more detailed information and tips.
Fraser Valley Regional District Animal Control
1-844-495-CARE Monday to Saturday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Find Local vets and Animal rescues listed on our resource pages
Specifically for help with tracking and trapping lost pets:
Petsearchers Canada
https://www.petsearcherscanada.com (604) 825-6913
Scent Rescue Team
https://www.facebook.com/share/g/12Kojq3zwCu/
Reach out to your neighbours and the community for help. Facebook in particular has a number of Groups dedicated to lost or found pets and there are other sites you can post on to reach more people.
Put up posters
If you have found a pet and they are temporarily staying with you or if your pet is lost definitely put up some posters in the area. Put them on posts, mail boxes, give them directly to your neighbours, the local vet offices, pet stores, and rescues (you can send them via email too). I would suggest coffee shops if they have a community board. And, you can ask other stores in the area if they would be willing. The more chances of people seeing the poster the better. And, for lost pets a reward can be very helpful in getting tips.
Facebook Groups - scroll down for links
If you are posting on Facebook or other sites it is helpful to include the following:
Found pets or sightings
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a photo (even from a distance)
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the city
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exact location and/or closest cross streets
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time of day of the sighting (or when they were found)
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brief description of the animal
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brief explanation of the situation
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indicate if this is a:
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‘Sighting’ meaning you spotted a pet but could not intervene at the time or catch them
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‘Found’ meaning you have them with you and they are secured in some way
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indicate if they were dropped off at a specific location like a Veterinarian or are now with a rescue
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Lost pets
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Use ‘Lost’ (meaning your pet is missing and you need help, vs. a found pet)
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the last date they were seen
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describe what they look like including their size, breed or mix, age, colouring
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list any unique markings or identifying features
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include a few recent photos that can show their size and those unique markings so people have a better chance of identification
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indicate if they have a collar, tattoo, or microchip
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your contact info
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describe the circumstances such as if they are an indoor only cat but escaped, or if the leash broke and they took off on the walk, or if there was a car accident and they ran off, or you just moved to the area, etc.
Missing Pet Facebook Groups
There are a bunch of Facebook Groups dedicated to missing or found pets. These are all the groups that include Abbotsford, Mission, and the Fraser Valley.
Lower Mainland/Greater Vancouver/Fraser Valley
Please join these groups to be able to keep an eye out for missing pets and utilize them if your own pet goes missing. This is an invaluable network of caring people that want to help.
Additional
Facebook Pages to follow
You can submit a request to have your lost pet posted on both of these sites. Just check their pages for more detailed instructions.
Petsearchers Canada
Missing Pets in BC - Petsearchers Canada's lost and found pet postings
Pawboost
Abbotsford, BC - Lost Dogs, Cats & Pets
British Columbia - Lost Dogs, Cats & Pets
You can also follow Pawboost on Instagram @pawboost
Other places to post
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Nextdoor app
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Other Facebook community groups specifically for your city or neighbourhood, or there are lost and found pages (not pet specific) too
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Craigslist and Kijiji
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BC SPCA pet search
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For pet birds greyhavenbirds.com
Other helpful resources
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911 Parrot Alert https://www.911parrotalert.com/resources/tips/
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BC Pet Registry https://bcpetregistry.ca/
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K9 Pet Trackers on Substack and the Missing Animal Response Network
What to do next?
Follow up!
If you have not yet reunited the pet with their family or if you are still missing your own pet don't give up!
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continue your ground search and let your immediate neighbours know the pet is still missing or lost
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call your local Vets and rescue groups, and give them a poster or photo (in person or by email)
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include Veternarians and rescues that are a bit farther away in case the pet got picked up by someone and taken out of town
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check the BC SPCA Pet Search site for updates
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repost in the Facebook Groups and check there regularly for any other residents posting about found or lost pets
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repost on Next Door and other sites
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if you have not already done so, reach out to Petsearchers or the Scent Rescue Team for assistance
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Put up fresh posters and/or extend the area you put up posters - if the pet has been spooked or is wandering, they may end up a lot farther away than you would guess
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Call Animal Control to follow up and check for any reports or updates
Updates
If the pet is reunited, found, or taken in by the SPCA, Animal Control, or a local rescue please update your post so that anyone seeing it later on will know the status. You can edit your post in Facebook and include something at the very top of the post like “Reunited with family” or “Found and back home safe” and so on. The posts will often pop up on people’s feeds days, weeks, or even months later so it’s good to keep the post current.
