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Secondly, please note that it is against the law in Texas to dump (or abandon) an animal.  Animal cruelty is a felony in Texas and is punishable by a $10,000 fine and up to two years in jail.  If you ever witness someone dumping an animal, try to get a photo of the car tags or person and report the offense to the Wood County Sheriff’s Office (903-763-2201).

 

Now What Do You Do?

APET would love to be able to take every single abandoned and surrendered animal, assure that they are safe and healthy, and find a loving home for them.  However, the reality is that our kennels are usually full and we have a lengthy waiting list.  Don’t give up hope!  There are some things that you can do yourself to find a home for the abandoned/lost pet and APET would like to help you in anyway we can.

 

Microchip or Tags?

Have the animal scanned to see if there is a microchip.  This can be done at a vet’s office or at APET.  If they have a microchip, it should include the name and phone number of their owner.  Please call before bringing an animal in to the APET Animal Center for microchip scanning, 903-638-6902.  This can only be done during our regular hours from Wednesday - Saturday, 11 am - 4 pm.

Does the animal have any tags?  You may find a clue leading to a pet’s identity from a tag. Some tags include the name of the owner or the name of the pet’s vet.

 

Gather Some Info

Take a few digital pictures of the animal from different angles, and write down the following facts:

Include a large heading of “FOUND-NEEDS A GOOD HOME”.    

If you take care of any of their medical needs (shots, spay/neuter) include that, as well.  With this information you will be able to create emails, flyers and Facebook posts to try and find the animal a home.  If you have the capability, a flyer in a “pdf” format can be either printed or attached to an email, and is the most convenient way to spread the word.

 

APET Surrender

Call us and get the animal on our surrender waiting list, 903-638-6902.  Email us with the photos and information you have just gathered (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).   We also keep a “Wish List” for people who are searching for a particular breed/size/age of dog or cat, and there is a possibility that we may find a match for you right away.  NOTE:  We do charge a fee for surrenders; $50-75 depending on the number/breed/situation of the animals.  Please verify this price when you call, as it may change without notice.  Also, please note we are staffed by volunteers and your calls will only be answered (or returned) during our regular business hours from Wednesday - Saturday, 11 am - 4 pm. 01 Stock Cat 5 scaled

 

Why Do We Charge A Surrender Fee?

All of the animals we take in are fully vetted before they are adopted out.  They have all of their shots, dogs are certified heart worm negative and are microchipped, cats are feline leukemia negative, and both are spayed and neutered.  The surrender fee helps to cover SOME of these vet costs.

 

Let Your Fingers Do The Walking

Now that you have all of your information together, call all of the local shelters, vet’s offices, and even groomers.  Get an email address from them and send them the flyer or send all of your info in an email.  Many of them have bulletin boards where they can post your message/flyer for their customers to see, and they can refer to the flyer if someone calls looking for a lost animal.  You may want to also call the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, in case someone has contacted them about a lost animal (903-763-2201).

Wood County Shelters

Wood County Veterinarians:

Wood County Pet Groomers

 

Use Social Media

Facebook has many sites that pertain to lost & found animals in Wood County or East Texas.  Some of them are:

 

Think Out Of The Box

Try to think of nearby shops or businesses that may let you post your flyer.  Talk to friends and people you see in your daily routine such as at your church, beauty shop or school.  Maybe call in to the weekly KMOO program that features community items for sale.  Take the animal out in public (safely, on a lead) with an "adopt me" shirt on.  Keep spreading the work and think out of the box.

 

Good Luck!

And thank you for being a caring person with a kind heart.

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A Few Last Things!

Should you decide to keep the animal, PLEASE don’t forget to spay or neuter your pet.  And should someone you don’t know contact you about adopting the pet, use your common sense to evaluate them.  If they give off a false or creepy vibe and refuse to make eye contact, you may want to think twice before turning over the pup or cat.

 

 

Disclaimer:  The phone numbers and Facebook pages listed in this article (with the exception of the APET information) are provided as a curtesy to help you find a home for your “found” pet.  This is by no means a complete list and APET SPCA does not endorse or recommend any of these businesses or groups.

If you run across any other Facebook pages that could help someone else, please email us so we can include the page in this article.  If any of the phone numbers or links are no longer in service, or you know of an additional resource, we would also love you to let us know so we can make corrections/additions.