WHY YOU SHOULDN’T RELY ON FACEBOOK TO FIND YOUR LOST PET
The manager of the charity that runs New Zealand’s microchip database for pets is reminding pet owners that social media should be one of the last steps in the search for a lost pet.
On October 25th, Companion Animals New Zealand, merged it’s two pet services - the NZ Companion Animal Register (NZCAR) and LostPet.co.nz to create a “super site” for lost and found animals.
General Manager, David Lloyd, says the newly amalgamated site should be the first place people go if they have lost or found a pet.
“We have combined our free lost and found website with our microchip database of 1.2million microchipped animals.” says Lloyd.
“Many pet guardians have experienced that horrible feeling of having an animal go missing, and not knowing where to start. Now, our super site means guardians have a clear course of action to take.”
In New Zealand, microchipped animals are likely to be found and then scanned at any one of 900+ vet clinics, SPCAs or animal shelters, so Lloyd says it is important to check your details on the NZCAR are correct as quickly as possible.
“Because of the merger, people can also check our free ‘found’ listings at the same time. Every found animal that is taken to the SPCA will automatically get a LostPet listing on our site, so if your pet is not microchipped, or not registered, then the super site is still the best place to come.”
Performing a thorough physical search is an important second step, remembering that cats will usually be within a few houses of home and can be excellent hiders, especially if they are scared or injured.
If you still need to create a lost pet listing, then it is free to do so, whether your pet is microchipped or not, and then, finally, from there you can share your post to Facebook.
“Social media definitely has it’s place in lost and found pet reunions, and there are many well-managed pages in New Zealand” says Lloyd. “But Facebook curates content so not everyone will see your post, and your post will be pushed down the page as new lost animals are listed.”
Companion Animals NZ recommend posting to the NZCAR/LostPet site first and sharing from there, so guardians only need to manage their listing in one place. Listings are live for four weeks but can be renewed indefinitely.
“Ideally pet guardians would be proactive and get their pet microchipped before they go missing, and they should ensure that they are registered on the NZCAR.” Lloyd says the registration step is sometimes missed – as is often done by the vet clinic who implant the chip, but sometimes it is left for pet guardians to do themselves. It is also important to remember that NZCAR registration is different from council registration for dogs.
Lastly, Lloyd says to not give up hope. “We have dozens of stories of happy reunions after pets and people have been separated by large distance and many months”.
The NZ Companion Animal Register was launched in 2007 and now has registered 1,250,000 animals, including 700,000 cats, 530,000 dogs, 10,000 rabbits, and 700 horses. All animals adopted from the SPCA are registered on the NZCAR automatically at adoption time. Funds from the register are used to support desexing campaigns and for other animal welfare projects.
LostPet.co.nz, formerly knows as Pets on The Net, was established in 2002 and became a Companion Animals NZ service in 2017.
Companion Animals New Zealand provide a 24-hour support service for lost and found pets at www.animalregister.co.nz or on freephone 0508 LOSTPET (567 873).
Contact information:
David Lloyd
General Manager
Companion Animals New Zealand david@companionanimals.nz
