Search methods that people use to find owners of lost pets.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the process by which people who find lost pets search for the owners.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study. Sample Population-188 individuals who found a lost pet in Dayton, Ohio, between March 1 and June 30, 2006. Procedures-Potential participants were identified as a result of contact with a local animal agency or placement of an advertisement in the local newspaper. A telephone survey was conducted to identify methods participants used to find the pets' owners.


RESULTS
156 of 188 (83%) individuals completed the survey. Fifty-nine of the 156 (38%) pets were reunited with their owners; median time to reunification was 2 days (range, 0.5 to 45 days). Only 1 (3%) cat owner was found, compared with 58 (46%) dog owners. Pet owners were found as a result of information provided by an animal agency (25%), placement of a newspaper advertisement (24%), walking the neighborhood (19%), signs in the neighborhood (15%), information on a pet tag (10%), and other methods (7%). Most finders (87%) considered it extremely important to find the owner, yet only 13 (8%) initially surrendered the found pet to an animal agency. The primary reason people did not surrender found pets was fear of euthanasia (57%). Only 97 (62%) individuals were aware they could run a found-pet advertisement in the newspaper at no charge, and only 1 person who was unaware of the no-charge policy placed an advertisement.


CONCLUSIONS
Veterinarians and shelters can help educate people who find lost pets about methods to search for the pets' owners.
Lord
Linda K
LK
Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Wittum
Thomas E
TE
Ferketich
Amy K
AK
Funk
Julie A
JA
Rajala-Schultz
Päivi J
PJ
D000329:Advertising; D000823:Animal Identification Systems / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000662:veterinary*; D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004285:Dogs; D037901:Euthanasia, Animal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009820:Ohio; D010067:Ownership; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors