Lost Dog Reunited With Family Thanks to NYC Shelter's Social Media Game
It’s a tragic fact of life that most animal shelters are massively overcrowded and can’t take care of all the animals that come through their doors. Unfortunately, that means that many animals at kill shelters end up euthanized. This heartbreak is made all the worst when the dogs are merely lost, and their owners are desperately searching for them.
But sometimes there are happy endings. In this case, a lost dog was reunited with his family after the shelter’s social media post about the pup went viral enough that it was seen by the man searching for him all over the city.
In late April, New York City police brought the 135 pound dog to the shelter after finding him wandering around alone in the Bronx. He looked to be a Rottweiler or Rottweiler mix with cropped ears, and seemed very friendly and well cared-for. The shelter named the pup Jose and tried to no avail to locate the dog’s owner. After a week, they released him to the list of adoptable dogs, and made a cute video about him.
Related: Stray Mother Dog and Her Pups Instantly Trust Woman Who Came To Save Them
Luckily, the video proved to be a big hit, and was shared around, eventually landing on the “for you” TikTok page of his owner, Mecca, who had been scouring the city in search of his lost best friend.
Animal Shelter Policies On Lost Dogs
At most animal shelters, stray dogs are put on a multi-day hold list in hopes that their owners will come looking for them. After the deadline has passed, they are usually put up for adoption. But in some instances, such as “high kill” shelters, they may be slated for euthanasia. That is why time is of the essence when it comes to communicating with local shelters about your missing dog.
How to Find a Missing Dog
The best line of defense when it comes to a lost dog starts before you lose track of them. Make sure your dog is equipped with a collar with your up to date contact information. Addresses and phone numbers change — and make sure your dog’s ID tags reflect that. And, because collars can be lost, consider getting your dog microchipped. This involves the insertion of a small chip inside their skin, usually at the nape of the next, which will be tied to an online database where you can always make sure your name and contact info are up to date.
If your dog goes missing the first thing you want to do is call the local animal control facilities. Give them all the information you have on your dog. And because those places are often run by overworked and haired staff and volunteers, who may not have all the information about the dogs under their care, it behooves you to visit them yourself, calling loudly for your dog.
You should also call around to local vet offices, as many people will bring found pets—especially injured ones—to a vet’s office first.
Check daily, and in person if you can, and don’t be afraid to visit animal control facilities a bit farther away from home. You’d be surprised at how quickly pets can travel.
Get good, recent pictures of your pet for use in posters, to hand to animal control facilities and even to post on social media. After all, social media is what helped Mecca and his dog (whose name was actually Mecca Jr.) reunite.
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