Tips for Finding a Lost Pet in NEPA
Our dog Bodhi is a talented escape artist who’s truly dedicated to honing her Houdini-esque craft. One day this summer, while we were choring in the garden, Bodhi taught herself how to open what we have long considered to be a well-secured dog-proof gate and we learned about all of the incredible resources available in our community to help find and safely return lost pets. Bodhi was found safely 24 hours later at a horse farm impressively far from home, and we have immense gratitude for everyone who helped her find her- it really did take a village.
We’re dropping these resources below to help you find, support, and access these tools so you can help lost pets return home and to help you locate your pet should they wonder off at any point down the road.
Local Facebook Groups:
Wyoming County PA: Lost Pet Page: this is an enthusiastic community of humans helping reunite lost and found pets in and around Wyoming County, PA with their families. They do an incredible job spreading the word about lost pets and go above and beyond to help lost pets find their way home.
Lost and Found Pets of NEPA: this is a community of more than 40,000 humans committed to helping reunite families with their lost pets. This group is an invaluable resource for pet lovers and owners.
Non-Emergency Police Services: you can dial 311 to reach your local non-emergency police hotline anywhere in the US. If a lost pet is picked up matching your dog’s description, and they have your contact info (at least in Wyoming County, PA), they’ll call you before taking your pet to a shelter. You can also google your local non-emergency police phone number and contact your local office directly.
If your dog is pickup by local police and is not registered you will receive a fine. In the state of Pennsylvania, dog registration is overseen by county treasurers offices though you can apply, pay, and renew online via padoglicense.com.
Pet Shelters in NEPA: If your dog is missing, you can call and let your local animal shelter know your pet is missing, give them your pet description and details, and your contact info. If you spot a lost pet, you can call and provide the pet’s description and location to the shelter.
Special shout out to whoever called Griffin Pond Animal Shelter a while back to let them know you’d spotted a German Shorthaired Pointer on your game cam in the middle of the night and offered GSP coordinates for the dog’s last known location- it didn’t end up being Bodhi, but you, my friend, are a good neighbor!
Griffin Pond Animal Shelter: https://www.griffinpondanimalshelter.com/
Blue Chip Animal Rescue: https://bcfanimalrefuge.org/
SPCA of Luzern County: https://www.spcaluzernecounty.org/
Friends with Paws: https://friendswithpaws.org/
Emergency Veterinary Hospitals in NEPA: If your pet has been missing you can call local animal hospital to see if an injured pet matching your pet’s description has been brought in. These are also great resources if you have or find an injured pet!
North East Veterinary Hospital in Plains: 24hour emergency veterinary care, 7 days a week. You can call to see if a dog matching your furry friends description has been brought in. Should you need Emergency Veterinary Services, phone ahead to let them know you’re coming: (570) 364-4070. There is a $400 deposit that’s required before your pet can be seen, and any funds not used during your visit will be refunded at checkout. https://www.northeast-vet.com/site/home
Memorial Veterinary Hospital in Troop: this is our regular vet and also our go-to emergency vet during business hours. https://memorialvet.com/
GPS Tracking Collars:
After this last escape incident, which was fairly dramatic, we got Bodhi a GPS tracking collar from Fi. If you’ve got a Houdini on your hands and you’re wondering if GPS collars (without antennas) work in rural PA, we can attest that ours works decently well even though cell signal isn’t great where we live. Once in “lost dog” mode it uses satellite triangulation to pinpoint her location- it isn’t as precise as the promo videos make it appear, but it’s accurate within about 10 - 15 feet, which is good enough for us. It isn’t cheap, but it does cost less than the vet fees Bodhi has racked up during her solo runs- so for us, it’s both financially and emotionally worth it.