LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — While Fourth of July celebrations may be over, many pet owners across the Las Vegas valley are still searching for missing furry family members.
The Animal Foundation in east Las Vegas said it took in 71 animals on the Fourth of July alone, making the days after the holiday some of the busiest of the year for local shelters.
WATCH | Adriana Gonzalez-Chavez hears from The Animal Foundation on what to do if you lost your pet:
For some owners, reunifications are bringing relief.
“Hey mami, whose baby is that? Awe!” Sammie Toles said while reuniting with his dog, Princess.
But shelter officials said not every family is as fortunate right away.
“If you lost your pet, the first 24 to 72 hours are critical,” said Kelsey Pizzi, communications manager with The Animal Foundation. “You want to walk around your neighborhood. A lot of times a neighbor will take in a lost pet. They’ll put them in their backyard or their garage. You want to text your neighbors and see if anyone has seen your pet.”
The Animal Foundation also recommends posting lost pets online and sharing recent photos on social media and pet recovery websites.
“Upload a photo of your lost pet to Petco Love Lost,” Pizzi said.
For Toles, microchipping made all the difference when his dog went missing.
“About five years ago, she got out and they chipped her,” Toles said. “So my wife actually got an email saying that they found our baby.”
Shelter staff said microchips and updated contact information significantly improve the chances of reunification.
Pizzi also encouraged people who find lost pets to keep them in the area where they were discovered instead of immediately driving them across town to a shelter.
“If you find a pet in your neighborhood, you want to keep that pet in your neighborhood,” Pizzi said. “You don’t want to drive all the way to the shelter because chances are they will not be reunited with their family.”
For pet owners still searching, visiting shelters in person can also help.
Maria Alvarez spent part of her day searching for her missing dog, Lulu.
“We’re looking for Lulu,” Alvarez said. “She was missing over there by Evans and Civic Center towards Carey. She heard some of the fireworks — it was still daylight, like 6:30. A family did see her, but then she scrambled out of the little kid’s hands and went toward Carey.”
Many shelters are also waiving or reducing reclaim fees over the next several days to help pets get home safely as quickly as possible.
The Animal Foundation says its website is updated continuously as more lost pets arrive.
