Neighborhood Lost and Found Pets

More and more neighborhoods here in the Houston area are starting their own websites and rescue groups in order to take loose, lost or abandoned dogs and cats off their streets and place them in foster homes until they are returned to their guardians or found new homes. These neighborhood rescue groups are run by animal loving volunteers -- your neighbors. I think this is a great idea. If each neighborhood had it's own website and/or contact list and group of volunteers when it came to lost or found pets, and everyone was made aware of one central place to look for or report lost or found pets in their area, pets could be found and returned quicker or kept from wandering the streets. Neighborhoods could also check with the surrounding neighborhood contacts (if in place) as well. Neighbors helping neighbors, helping the pets. That's what it's all about..

For those of you in the Westbury  and Willowbend (Houston) neighborhoods, there is a rescue organization called CARE (Compassionate Animal Rescue Endeavor), which posts information of their activities on https://westbury.nextdoor.com, a private social network for neighbors in Westbury and Willowbend. 

CARE is a new nonprofit, but the organizer is doing a great job of taking strays (mostly dogs) off the street and getting them into foster homes. The animals' veterinary care and food are usually covered by donations from neighbors or from organizations like Homeless Pet Placement League. CARE also works with RPM (Rescued Pet Movement) based in Houston to transport some of the dogs to Colorado, where reputable nonprofits take in the animals and get them adopted. The other dogs are adopted through local adoption events and online profiles. 

CARE is in great need of foster homes for these dogs. One of my clients is currently holding two dogs, a beautiful male black lab and his sister, a 25-lb. mix, that were abandoned by their owners (they need a foster or a permanent home).  Animals like these need help and I am hoping that dog-loving people in the Westbury or Willowbend areas will step forward and volunteer to foster, either short term or long term. Interested individuals can contact Kerry Adams, the CARE organizer, at kerryadamsart@yahoo.com. She would be grateful for any assistance people can offer. She is providing a tremendous service for dogs in need in these areas.

For those of you in the Braeswood Place neighborhood, BPAL (Braeswood Place Animal Lovers) have a website at http://braeswoodpets.com/ . They are a group of volunteers who are willing to display Lost/Found signs in their yards. What a great idea! They help neighbors find lost pets and find the homes of found animals. They will find a safe, loving home for found pets whose guardians cannot be located. Their Lost/Found page will feature pets who are currently lost or have been found in the Braeswood Place neighborhood. If you would like to join in this worthy endeavor please check out their website, give them a call, email or sign up on their email list. Membership is free, all you need is a caring heart.

The City of West University Place provides information and photos of pets that are picked up by Animal Control, picked up by other residents, and reported lost by their owners on their website at www.westutx.gov/index.aspx?page=148. Residents are encouraged to report both lost and found pets by posting on the city's website using their online form.

For those who live in Bellaire, you can check to see if your lost dog is in the Bellaire Animal Shelter by going to www.ci.bellaire.tx.us/index.aspx?nid=1039. Then click on "dogs currently in our shelter" to see photos of the animals. Dogs are kept for only 72 hours. They do not pick up cats. You can also do an internet search for lost and found pets in Bellaire and there are various websites that list lost and found pets for a number of areas.