City of Plano lists several tips to help residents find lost pets after holiday weekend

The city of Plano is encouraging residents to take several steps if they are missing a pet after the July 4 holiday.

More pets go missing after the July 4 holiday, in part due to the loud fireworks, than at any other point of the year, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Plano city officials are encouraging any residents with missing pets to submit a lost pet report to the city’s website.

The city lists a number of ways to recover your pet in Plano. First, visit any shelters around where the pet was lost, even if it is in another nearby city. The Plano Animal Shelter welcomes all walk-in visitors during regular hours. The shelter is located at 4028 W. Plano Parkway. Its hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Mon.-Fri. and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on weekends.

The city maintains a virtual pet listing and map on its website that allows residents to post locations and photos of any pets they lose or find. Lost pet reports are kept in the system for two weeks, the website states.

If a pet was wearing a tag or microchip when lost, the city encourages residents to call the veterinarian or microchip issuing company to ensure all contact information is current in case the pet is found. Officials also encourage residents to search their respective neighborhoods and spread the word among neighbors about the missing pet and to ask local businesses to post lost pet flyers in their establishments.

The website states to be persistent when losing a pet and to keep checking the shelters every day. If the lost pet is a cat, residents are encouraged to put its litter box outside as cats can smell it from up to a mile away, according to city officials. Follow the links for more specific tips on finding lost dogs or lost cats.

More information can be found on lost and found pets in Plano on the city’s website.