What to do when you find a lost pet or stray animal in Toronto

It’s been two months since Laurie Weir’s pet cat Coco went missing and her frantic search has seen her resort to various different ways to find her, including enlisting the help of a psychic.

“I spoke with an animal communicator — she’s a psychic as well — and it really gave me a lot of comfort,” says Weir.

She says she was told to look in the area of Pharmacy Avenue and Ellesmere Road and that it is also possible someone took Coco in, thinking she needed help.

“If anybody has seen Coco or has her in their home, I would really love to be reunited with her,” she says.

What to do if you find a lost or stray animal

Toronto Animal Services has registries for both lost as well as found animals and you can call 3-1-1 to report either.

If you find a lost dog with City of Toronto tags, 3-1-1 can help put you in touch with the owner.

If the dog does not have tags or you cannot locate the owner yourself through canvassing your neighbourhood or getting its microchip checked,  3-1-1 will likely pick it up and place it in one of three city-run shelters.

Cats however, should be left alone.

“Cats are actually allowed to free roam in the city of Toronto,” explains Jasmine Herzog-Evans, manager of Toronto Animal Services Enforcement and Mobile Response Unit.

“So the best thing to do for that cat is to just let it go back to wherever it probably likely came from. Especially if you notice that they’re wearing a bit of an ear tip. Those are usually cats that have been sterilized and released back.”

Only if the cat is ill or injured does it warrant a call to 3-1-1 for help, she adds.

“If you do feel compelled because maybe there’s a safety element, especially if you live next to a busy roadway … file a found report so that if somebody is looking for their cat … [they] will know that it’s been spotted in this area,” says Herzog-Evans.

Despite your best intentions, it is not advisable to simply adopt a cat you find outdoors. If necessary, it is best to take it to one of the city’s shelters or, if possible, to a vet to check for a microchip.

“You can do so anonymously and many [vets] actually offer carriers so you can transport safely from your home. The owner doesn’t need to know who you are … but just reunite them with their proper family,” says Weir.

Herzog-Evans cautions that in general, found animals should not be fed.

“Do not try to feed them for a number of reasons — you don’t know how possessive that animal is of food, you could even make them sick or upset their tummy. So the recommendation is to use caution when around stray animals and avoid feeding them,” she says.

Stray or feral cats are the exception to the “no-feeding” rule.

“It is recommended that feral cats are managed by following ‘Trap-Neuter-Return’ practices which include using feeding methods that don’t attract wildlife,” says Toronto Animal Services in a statement.

Dogs are held in the city’s shelters for five days and cats are held for three days.

“After the stray period is up, then they become property of Animal Services and we have a number of different resources that we work with, whether they’re rescues, whether the animal is put up for adoption, whether they go into foster, there are a number of different alternatives that can be explored,” says Herzog-Evans.

“Euthanasia, which unfortunately is a part of our business, is the absolute last resort. I want everybody to know that we do try our best … for the best possible outcome for that animal.”

Safety tips and what to do if your pet is lost

Weir says she’s tried a number of the traditional methods of locating a lost pet suggested by both Toronto Animal Services (TAS) and Toronto Humane Society (THS):

• If the animal is microchipped, inform the company that it has gone missing
• Report the lost animal to TAS and THS
• Canvass the neighbourhood to find out if anyone has seen your pet
• Print up and post flyers in and around the neighbourhood with a clear picture and detailed description of your pet. Also include best ways to interact with the animal
• Post on and monitor community Facebook groups
• For a lost cat, put familiar items out in front of your home like litter boxes and beds
• Visit local shelters and THS in person to check if your animal turned up

THS says they see a slight uptick in lost pets in the spring as people may leave their doors and windows open more often. They take in about three lost cats a week, although the number of dogs and rabbits is lower.

“Just checking to make sure that something hasn’t come in or identifying it may be yours based on a picture that you see of a stray animal in the facility … doing that [often] over the period of time from when it’s lost until hopefully the reunification [is a good idea],” explains Melissa Shupak, manager of shelter programs at THS.

THS has the same holding period as TAS for dogs and cats, and thereafter the animals go through the regular processing and adoption formalities as any other in the shelter.

Shupak adds that pets might run away or get lost for a number of reasons that may not be in the pet owners’ control, but offers some tips that will help keep pets safe:

• Microchip your pets and ensure any changes to your details are updated regularly
• For easy access, put the number of the microchip company in your phone contacts with a photo of your pet and the microchip number registered to the animal.
• Make sure the screens on your doors and windows are secure and fences are in good repair
• Ensure that carries for cats and other small species are strong and in good repair
• Dogs collars and harnesses should be well fitted and consider using both together for extra security
• If an indoor cat enjoys the outdoors, use a harness and leash for supervision
• Outdoor cats should wear a collar and ID tags