New program to help Staten Islanders find lost pets

The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, the ASPCA, and Animal Care & Control of NYC have joined forces to create a new lost-and-found program to promote the return lost dogs and cats to their owners.

The pilot program will launch Monday, just in time for the Fourth of July -- a holiday traditionally marked by a spike in lost pets, thanks in part to the number of frightened pets who run off during fireworks displays.

If your pet is lost or if you find a pet, you should report it on AC&C's website at www.nycacc.org. Then the process begins with volunteers providing searches and more in-depth efforts to locate owners.

Trained volunteers, supervised by paid ASPCA staff, monitor lost pet reports daily and attempt to match them to animals entering shelters and on the database. They also proactively compare the animals at AC&C facilities and those listed on external lost-and-found websites.

Pet owners are also encouraged to attach a basic ID tag to their pet's collar.

For more information about what to do if you have lost or found a pet, visit www.nycacc.org/lostfound.htm or www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org/lostandfound.

http://www.silive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/06/new_program_to_help_staten_isl.html