FOUND PET

First, thank you for taking the time to help a needy pet. Here are some things you can do to help reunite the animal with their family.

Call dispatch (Numbers listed in red), and give them as much information as you possibly can regarding the exact location where you found the animal. (E.g. intersections, mile markers, Date, time of day/night, etc.) If possible, contain the dog with a leash or rope or a cat in a box or carrier until dispatch officer can come. 

If you find a dog in a rural area, it is possible the dog is not lost but just roaming around. If you see any properties nearby, you should check with them to see if they know who the owner is.  Of course, if the animal appears in immediate danger (busy highway), removing it from that situation is best.

If you live a long distance away from where you found the dog, Removing the animal from the location (city/county) where it was found makes it less likely that the animal can be reunited with its family, so keep this in mind. 

LOST PET

Oh, no! Your furry friend just dashed out the door or broke his leash and ran off down the street. However, it happened, and all you know is that your furry one is not where s/he should be - at home with you.

What do you do now? 

First, call your county police dispatch (Animal Control) with a report including a detailed description of your pet and where he or she went missing. Call CHA to see if your pet is being held safely at our facility. 

• In Ashland County call 715-682-7023 ext 1

• In Bayfield County call 715-373-6120.
• ​CHA 715-682-9744
  

These departments and CHA will keep your information on record and call you if your pet is picked up. However, you'll need to keep in contact and actively look for your lost pet. Sometimes, animals are found without tags and/or microchips and can not be readily identified. 

It is also a good idea to check CHA's Facebook page regularly or community Facebook groups to see if your animal is being held by a community member. Post fliers and contact Lost Dogs of Wisconsin or Lost Cats of Wisconsin. 

You may also hire a drone operator to see if a geo-thermal drone can pick up your lost animal. Air Fox Photography is a great local company that can help! 


If your pet is picked up by Animal Control or found, in most cases, it will be brought to the CHA Animal Control facility and held until it can be claimed. CHA will hold an animal for 5 days to allow owners to find them.

If your animal does end up at CHA as a stray, proof of ownership, rabies vaccination records, county license, plus an intake and boarding fee will be applied to reclaim your pet.


If an animal is not claimed by its owner within that period, two or more things may happen: 

• CHA will intake the animal and administer appropriate medical care (i.e., altering, vaccinating, testing etc.) and put up for adoption. 
• CHA may send the animal out of the area to be placed for adoption.

If you plan on offering a reward for the return of your pet, please consider the following.  A reward may incentivize people to find your dog.  Never pay a reward until you have your dog back, and never go to meet the finder by yourself.  
Here are some other helpful things you can do to help your furry loved one find his way back home.

• Contact local veterinarians, groomers, and rescues - contact these businesses within an hour or two-hour radius of your home. Notify multiple shelters/rescues/veterinary offices in the area.  In our area, that would include Superior, Hayward, Ironwood, and everything in between.  How would your dog get so far so quick? Easy.  A good Samaritan could have picked up your dog intending to find you, the owner, but they are just driving through the area, so when they make it home 1 hour or more away, the person posts the animal or turns it into a shelter, vet, groomer they're familiar with.  Pets are also quite capable of traveling great distances, especially if they're large animals, in a very short period of time.
• Go to locations you normally frequent with your pet and place a familiar item there perhaps some food.  Place a sign next to the items so people know not to remove them. The familiar scent may cause your pet to hang around the area making it more likely for you to find it. Return to the location(s) frequently. 
• Let your friends on social media know that your pet is lost - post a picture. Notifying your friends and family increases the chances that someone will see your pet posted on our website, Facebook or PetFinder page. If your dog is shy, ask people not to chase them, just let you know of any sightings.
• Put up posters through your community, but be mindful of sign ordinances.  Your poster won't be very helpful if it is taken down because it's placed in a location where signs are not allowed. 

You can use this poster template. 

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