Lost a dog or cat
If you lose your dog or cat, DON'T PANIC
Contact the Lost Dogs and Cats Line
If you have lost your dog or cat you should call the Lost Dogs and Cats Line on 0901 477 8477 (calls charged at 60p per minute) as soon as possible. If you leave a message on our answer phone please speak slowly and clearly, repeating the contact telephone number. Alternatively you can fill in our lost eform. We endeavour to return all calls or process the forms within an hour and you will be emailed back with a reference number.
Speak to an operator
They will ask you for details about you and your missing dog or cat. We need to know:
- Your name, address and a telephone number you can be contacted on.
- The breed of dog or cat, sex, colour, age and size.
- If the animal has any form of identification, such as a collar and tag or a microchip.
- Most importantly, WHEN and WHERE your dog or cat went missing.
What happens next
All these details will be entered onto the computer in a central database. The operators will search the database to see if they have any matches to your missing pet.
If they do not have any matches at the time they will save your details so they can search all dogs that are found in the future.
If they have a match, they will tell you immediately and let you know who is looking after it. They will tell you where your dog or cat is so you can go and collect him. If your pet is at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home you will need to come down to the Home.
You will need to bring:
- A form of ID for yourself (example: recent utility bill, bank statement, driving licence. Passport is not acceptable),
- Proof of ownership for your pet (example: microchip documentation, vaccination records/certificate, vet bills, photos).
Please don't forget to bring a lead and a collar for your dog, or a cat basket for your cat.
If your pet is not already microchipped, we will offer you this service when you claim your animal - it costs just £15.00 at the Home and we strongly recommend you get a microchip, in case your pet goes missing again in the future.
We have to charge you a fee when you claim your dog or cat, to help us cover some of the costs we have incurred in taking care of your pet while they were at the Home.
Depending on how many days your dog has been with us, the fees are as follows:
if you claim your dog on day one, the fee is £15.00. Day two = £20.00, day three = £30.00, day four = £40.00, day five = £50.00, day six = £60.00, day seven and onwards = £70.00.
Depending on how many days your cat has been with us, the fees are as follows:
if you claim your cat on day one, the fee is £5.00. Day two = £10.00, day three = £15.00, day four = £20.00, day five = £25.00, day six = £30.00, day seven and onwards = £35.00.
Other things you can do
- Come down to the Home every seven days to make sure that your dog or cat has not been handed in. We will search for your dog or cat on the central database for 28 days and let you know of any matches, but you must also visit the Home as only you can identify him.
- Report your dog missing to your local animal warden - your local council should employ an animal warden who will collect any stray dogs wandering the streets. Only few animal wardens deal with cats.
- Report your dog or cat missing to your local animal shelters. Most animal shelters will keep a lost-and-found database of their own.
- Call your local veterinary surgery in case a member of the public has handed your dog or cat into them or have notified them of a stray they have found.
- Download a free missing poster and add in details of your missing pet. Ask local shops, vets, pubs etc. to put them up in their windows. Use a copy of a photograph if you have one. We have found by experience that this is the best way of getting cats home. Post copies of the posters through doors in the streets near to your home.
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