Lost Now Found!
The lanky white-and-gray tomcat just showed up one day. He wore a bright pink collar and his fur was clean. Still, the woman who spotted him couldn’t assume that he had a home. She scooped up the friendly young cat and whisked him off to a vet. She was glad she did. He tested positive for feline leukemia, a highly contagious disease that he would surely have transmitted to other cats if he had been left outside. She placed ads and put up signs, but whoever put the pink collar on “String Bean” never called. With healthy food and veterinary care, String Bean recovered and now lives in a loving home. But his story wouldn’t have had a happy ending if one person hadn’t decided to make his future her business.

If not you, then who? Strays show up in every community-including yours. These animals need you to save them from a painful death from disease, poisoning, starvation, theft by laboratory dealers or worse. Here are some rescuers’ top tips—and animals who were saved by them:

1 Check for tags. Chauncy was reunited with her family after being lost for two weeks when a kind person checked her tag. Many animals get home simply because someone took the time to call. (But don’t assume that because the animal has a collar, he or she has a home-like String Bean, many are abandoned, or their families have given up.)

2 Set a tender trap. Abandoned in the woods, defenseless, declawed Stretch wouldn’t have lasted much longer if he hadn’t been trapped and adopted.
If a stray flees when you approach, start putting out food to get him or her into the habit of visiting. Borrow a humane box trap from your local animal shelter or purchase one from Tomahawk Live Trapping Company (1-800-27-ATRAP). Write for our trapping factsheet or download it at PETA-online.org.


3 Put up signs. Adorable little Emma looked like she had just escaped from her yard, but no one ever claimed her. When you pick up a stray, immediately file a “found” report at all area shelters (animals can wander many miles). Don't be afraid to take the animal to a well-run shelter-that’s usually the first place where people look. Place a classified ad in the newspaper (many papers run “found” ads for free or at a discount). Put up signs within a 2-mile radius that say, “Found Cat. Call _____.” Don’t give any details. Let callers give you details; this weeds out people who are trying to acquire animals under false pretenses to sell to laboratories or dogfighting rings.

4 Get ’em inside! Orca was abandoned, unspayed, by her owners. Her rescuer was slow to catch her, and one stray cat turned into five when Orca gave birth to four kittens. If you spot an unsterilized animal, get him or her off the street right away, before the problem multiplies!

5 Find a good home. Muffin found a wonderful home after her rescuer carefully screened potential adopters. Place animals only in the homes of people who are looking for inside companions who will be members of the family. Visit the home, ask lots of questions, and have adopters sign a contract. Contact PETA for our “Finding the Right Home” brochure.

6 Always sterilize animals before rehoming them. Call 1-800-248-SPAY for information on low-cost spay/neuter programs in your area. If you are unable to find a good home, take the animal to a reputable shelter run by a humane organization. (Write for our shelter factsheet for more information.)

Are You Prepared?
Everyone has seen a dog by the roadside. Your heart may be in your mouth, but please stop, throw your itinerary out the window, and try to help before that dog becomes another roadside tragedy.

• Many normally friendly dogs become fearful when they are lost. Position yourself between the dog and traffic. Turn off the car, close the door quietly, move slowly, speak softly, and avoid making eye contact. Carry dog treats or cans of cat food in your car to use as lures. If the dog runs, stop and kneel down, or walk in the opposite direction. Be patient—it may take awhile for the animal to muster up the courage to come near. Try to herd the dog toward a residential area, ideally into a fenced yard, where you can close the gate and prevent escape.

• If you are near a pay phone or have a cell phone, call the humane society, animal control, or police and ask for help. Be insistent.

• If the animal is injured, stop the car, put on the flashers, and set out flares. Wrap gauze or a necktie around the animal’s muzzle to prevent biting (injured animals sometimes bite out of fear), or if the animal is small, wrap him or her in a towel. Pull even apparently dead animals out of the roadway-they may be alive but unconscious. (Gently touch the edge of the eye. If it flickers, the animal is alive.) Get injured animals veterinary care right away.

Carry This Rescue Kit in Your Car
• Leash
• Cat carrier
• Poptop canned cat food
• Dog treats
• Towels and gauze or strips of cloth
• Phone numbers,of local shelters, emergency vets, and wildlife rehabilitator

HELP CAME TOO LATE

• Bob lived for years in a neighborhood where neighbors fed him, but no one took him in. He was attacked by a dog, and his wounds, left untreated for months, became severely infected.


• An untreated ear-mite infestation, common among stray cats, drove this stray to scratch his ears bloody.

• This little stray dog’s eyes were swollen shut from mange.


• This stray kitten’s foot was bitten off in an attack by another animal.