Stray & Lost Animals
Stray & Lost Animals



Also check these Facebook Groups:

Lost & Found Cats in Volusia County
Lost & Found Pets in Ormond Beach
Lost and Found Pets of Palm Coast & Flagler County
Lost Pets of Volusia County
Flagler and Volusia County LOST DOGS

 

 

pet

love lost

 

Halifax Humane Society is committed to returning lost pets to their families. If your pet is lost, we encourage you to visit our shelter at 2364 LPGA Boulevard during regular hours (10am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun).

You can also check this Facebook page- https://www.facebook.com/lostpetsofvolusia/

To Report a Lost Pet or to Inform Animal Control about a Stray-

Call your City Animal Control Department at:

Daytona Beach Animal Control

Holly Hill Animal Control

Ormond Beach Animal Control

Port Orange Animal Control

South Daytona Animal Control

Volusia County Animal Control

Deland Animal Control 

Deltona Animal Control

Edgewater Animal Control

New Smyrna Beach Animal Control

386-671-5100

386-248-9483

386-676-3262

386-756-5333

386-322-3030

386-248-1790

386-736-5999

386-878-8701

386-424-2000

386-424-2220

          
                
          
                
           
           
                       
                       
                  
 

 

 

 

This lost and stray pets page is provided as an extra service to assist owners in finding their pets, but should not be used as a replacement for visiting the shelter in person. These animals are not available for adoption. They are on a 72-hour hold (from the time they are brought into the shelter) so an owner may reclaim their pet. All animals are scanned for a microchip. Always have your pet microchipped and have an identification tag on your pets collar.

Most stray animals will be featured on this page, but aggressive or feral animals and pets under six months may not have their picture taken as a safety precaution. Animals will only be shown on this page for three days following arrival.

As Halifax Humane Society cares for approximately 15,000 animals per year, we require that you visit in person to look for your lost pet; we are unable to take lost/found pet information by phone, email, or internet. When coming to identify/reclaim a lost pet, you must bring personal identification: your driver’s license, state ID, etc.

Please also bring photos of your pet, veterinary records, adoption paperwork, or other documentation that may help to identify that the animal is yours. If proof provided does not verify sole ownership, Halifax Humane Society reserves the right to hold the animal in impound for the entire impound period. A boarding fee will be charged upon release of your animal. These fees are vital to help cover the cost of caring for your pet during his/her stay with us.

Approximately one in three pets will get lost at some point in their lifetimes. Studies have shown that less than 10% of unidentified pets are ever reunited with their owner. Don’t let this happen to your pet!

Halifax Humane Society recommends that all pets have both an identification tag and a registered microchip. All HHS pets receive a microchip prior to adoption. If your pet does not have a microchip, please contact your veterinarian. If your address or contact information changes, remember to update your pet's tag and microchip.

If your pet is missing, it is up to you to aggressively search for him or her. Florida law requires that animal shelters hold stray pets for a minimum of 72 hours. The more action you take, and the sooner you begin searching, the more likely you are to find your lost pet.

When you find your animal, if your pet is not already sterilized and microchipped, please speak with one of our staff regarding low cost spay/neuter, vaccines and microchipping. Sterilized pets are less likely to roam (nearly 80% of the stray animals who come to us are unsterilized) and if your pet were to lose its collar and tag, the microchip will still help get them home.

These animals are not up for adoption at this time. They will be receiving physical exams and behavior assessments prior to moving to our adoption area. At that time, their photos will be featured on our adoption page.

 

Return to Owner Process:

It is the goal of HHS to return all strays entering the Shelter to their owners and to provide assistance to those who have lost pets or to individuals who have found animals. HHS defines reasonable attempts to contact the owner as:

  • checking lost reports;
  • checking found reports;
  • checking newspaper ads, Craigslist and Facebook;

 

If the owner is known, reasonable attempts include phone calls, internet messages, and a certified return receipt letter to the last known address.

 

Holding Period for Lost Animals

The stray hold is 72 hours (3 days). If there is a declared disaster (declared by the President of the United States or at the state level by the Governor of Florida), then the time-period will be extended determined by the circumstance.

 

Sick or Injured Stray Animals

Any sick or injured animal is placed on the vet check log. The Veterinary Services Department will determine the correct treatment for the pet. If the Veterinary Services Department is not available, the Animal Care Director or attending manager will proceed based on the condition of the illness. 

The pet must be held for at least 72 hours, as we attempt to track the owner. All attempts must be documented on the animal’s PetPoint record (PetPoint is the internal software data system utilized by HHS).

 

Matching Animals

The description of the animal, date lost or found, location where animal was lost or found, and any forms of identification are important factors used for matching animals. Our goal is to assist the person who is looking for their lost pet.

 

Calls from Citizens Reporting Lost Animals

Any time an individual calls to report a lost animal, they are asked to come to the shelter to complete a lost report. The shelter will accept lost reports over the phone if the person is handicapped or elderly and unable to come to the shelter.

 

Checking Lost Reports Daily

The following daily checks are made in PetPoint:

  • Lost reports against found reports
  • Lost reports against Shelter on hand animals
  • On-hand animals against the Lost Pets section of the newspaper and Craigslist

These checks are done by walking through the shelter with the lost reports and looking at each animal to see if there is a possible match.

Found Animals

Animals with Traceable Identification

  • Staff will go through the same identification process as implemented for lost animals.

 

Stray Animals

The person handling the admission of a stray animal brought to the Shelter by a citizen or Animal Control Officer will promptly check:

  • lost reports on file,
  • lost reports from the Daytona Beach News-Journal and Pennysaver
  • Craigslist.com; and
  • lost pets on all lost pet search engines i.e. Petfinder, Petharbor, etc.

The animal PetPoint record should reflect the date and time the animal was found, the initials of the employee, and the date lost reports were first checked.

 

Matching

The description of stray animals that have been brought to the Shelter by citizens or through the animal control department will be immediately cross-checked with lost animal reports.

If a match is made, owners should be promptly called and notified of the process involved for the release of the animal. Should the owner be unreachable by telephone, make a request of animal control to post a notice at the door of the residence.

  • A Hold is put on the animal’s record of a possible match and return to owner.
  • A note is put on the kennel card of the animal with the date and name of the staff person writing the information.
  • The possible owner is provided the information or steps he/she must take to finalize the return to owner.

 

Office staff will educate citizens reporting lost animals about the benefits of spaying or neutering, the hazards of leaving animals outside unattended and the importance of identification.

Calls from Citizens Reporting Found Animals.

When individuals call or visit the Shelter to report a found animal, office staff will complete the appropriate form and obtain as much detailed information as possible.  This information is to be entered into PetPoint.

Lost animal reports should be promptly checked.

  • If a match is made, the person should be referred to the owner of the animal.
  • If no match is made, office staff should encourage the person to bring the animal to the Shelter if he or she is unable to keep it and report the found animal to other local shelters, to post signs in the area the animal was found and to advertise in a local newspaper.

 

Return to Owners: Proof of Ownership

Our mission is to get the animal home. Therefore the following guidelines have been put into place. Proof of ownership can be determined in many ways:

  • ID tag, rabies tags or license tags
  • Veterinary records
  • Pictures
  • Bill of sale
  • Registration papers

 

If the above are lacking, we will take into consideration:

  • Where the animal was lost compared to where found
  • Zip code
  • Description
  • Coordinating dates
  • How the animal reacts to the person
  • Neighbors identification

 

We will also try:

  • Calling the vet or the groomer
  • A call to a neighbor or friend
  • If all these fail a patron may put a finder’s hold on the animal.
  • All ownership disputes will be mediated.

 

Animals are personal property and cannot be withheld from an owner without due cause.

Persons claiming a stray animal as their own should provide proof of ownership (see above). Furthermore, pet owners may have to pay certain fees to reclaim the animal. If there are vet fees the owner will be responsible for those fees.