How to Help the Pet You Found

- Take found pet to any vet to be scanned for microchip for free. If a local vet is not open, an Emergency Room Vet that is open 24/7 will also be able to scan. 

- Post the found pet on Nextdoor, and various Facebook pages that help reunite pets. Please be careful when posting as there are scammers. Always ask for proof of ownership if someone says a lost pet is theirs.  Facebook pages in the Katy area include:

• Katy Texas Lost and Found Pets
• Katy Pawboost
• Cinco Ranch Lost and Found Pets
• Lost and Found Pets in SE Area of Katy, TX

- Post found fliers in the area where the pet is found

- Keep the pet safe and in a secure location. Even if it's just a bathroom or laundry room that is separated from your other pets - it is better than leaving on the streets. A lot of animals are scared and if placed in the backyard, make sure it is secure - they may try to escape.

- If no owner comes forward in a reasonable amount of time, please consider fostering or finding a foster. Majority of rescues are foster based and this temporary commitment can save the pet's life.  Almost Home Pet Rescue is completely foster-based - we cannot take in any animals into the program without a committed foster. If you are able to foster, please see the foster page for more information and contact rescueforlife@hotmail.com for more information.

- If you cannot foster yourself, you can try to reach out to other rescues. Go to https://www.adoptapet.com/ and then email the rescues found in the surrounding areas to see if they have available space. 

- There are no "No-Kill" shelters in the Houston area. After 72 hours, the stray hold is considered up and an animal surrendered to the shelter can be legally euthanized. If an owner turns in their own dog/cat, or if you have already had the stray for 72 hours, this holding rule does not apply and the animal can be killed immediately upon intake. 

- If you are willing to help the pet find a home yourself, please be aware of the following:

• There are low cost vets in the Katy and Houston area. They can be found by searching on the internet and then their services/pricing can be found on their individual websites.  You can always ask for donations from others to help fund.
• It is very important that a pet is spayed/neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped prior to being rehomed
• Always ask for a rehoming fee. Having a fee places a value on having a pet and helps people take the adoption of a pet more seriously.
• Never give a dog or cat away for free. - there are many dog-fighting rings and  while these people appear nice, they go searching for stray dogs or cats to then be used as bait to help train the dogs to fight. 
• Makes sure to always ask questions! You can review the online application available on rescue sites like Almost Home Pet Rescue to get ideas of what to ask. You want to make sure the pet will be treated like family, will be taken to the vet regularly, keep on preventative medications,  and won't live life on a chain or banished to the backyard. 
•  You can can also post your found pet for adoption on Adopt-a-Pet.com.  Directions here: https://rehome.adoptapet.com/list-a-pet/step-1