What to do when you lose your pet? It is unfortunate, but most people don’t start by calling their local animal shelters to see if their pet has shown up there and to place a lost pet report. Only 1 percent of the stray cats we take in go back to their owner — last year that was only eight cats. Our dog rate is much better and is currently around 45 percent. But you wouldn’t believe how many purebred dogs and cats come in here with no one calling about them. By law, we have to hold a stray animal without a collar five days, but we typically hold them for seven; with a collar, it is 10 days, but we usually hold them for 12. We try to give owners ample time to find their pet and are always disappointed when they don’t come. There are several measures that can be used in order to find your pet more quickly. Tags are important because if an animal control officer or a private citizen finds your pet they can contact you directly and the pet never has to come to a shelter. Mic