Lost and Found Matching with Shelter Software

Contributed by The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region

610 Abbott Lane
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
Phone: (719) 473-1741
http://www.hsppr.org

When you think of Colorado you naturally think of wide-open spaces. For the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR), the lone animal control facility in El Paso County, the next shelter is more than 30 miles away.

The Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region (HSPPR) is a full service shelter in Colorado Springs, CO. In 2009:

• Annual intake was approximately 21,000 (11,200 dogs; 8,800 cats).
• 13,300 of this number were strays (7,200 dogs; 6,100 cats).
• They achieved a return-to-owner rate of 49 to 52% for dogs and 4.4 to 5% for cats.

Due to their sprawling service area, HSPPR staff and volunteers find that coding lost and found reports by zip code is the most efficient way to make matches. Kris Dearden, a volunteer at HSPPR, notes that a smaller shelter may not find zip codes to be as much of a help. She suggests that using street name, quadrant or some other type of smaller geographic indicator may be of more use. At HSPPR, zip codes help immensely with matching stray animals to lost reports but that matching still needs to be done by a person.

How’d They Do It?

The humane society capitalizes on their lost and found program and Chameleon shelter software, including Pet Harbor.

• All lost dog reports filed by the public are entered into Chameleon.
• Lost cat reports are not entered into Chameleon, but all hard copy lost cat reports are filed by zip code.
• Using the Pet Harbor feature of Chameleon, information about lost dogs is automatically uploaded to the HSPPR website hourly. The uploaded lost dog information is widely used by members of the community and members of the humane society’s Lost and Found team.

The Daily Process

1. Every day, the shelter enters information for:

• Animals received overnight
• Lost and Found reports filed by the public
• Lost and Found reports posted on Craigslist
• Lost and Found reports emailed or called in

2. Next, they check new and previously entered data against:

• The euthanasia list
• The stray dog list, which is run by breed
• The stray cat list, which is run by zip code

3. Lists in hand, they create the Notify Owner report and start calling!

Making Space for Lost and Found

HSPPR has a Lost and Found room where the public can file Lost and Found reports with the agency, search the reports on lost and found animals, and find tip sheets and staff or volunteers to assist them.

When someone who lost a pet comes into the shelter, they are provided with tools and strategies to help find their lost pet, including:

• Providing the owner with a stray report organized by zip code and/or breed
• Asking the owner to walk through the public kennels
• Escorting the owner through the non-public kennels
• Showing the owner how to look through found animal reports in the Lost and Found room
• Showing the owner how to file a lost animal report

While the HSPPR will take found reports by email and over the phone, they urge pet owners who are able to come into the shelter to file a lost report. According to Kris, “this ensures they are taking action on their animal’s behalf and are touring the whole facility to look for their pet.” 

HSPPR recommends that owners file a new lost report each time they come in to the facility. They also suggest the owners come in as often as possible, and every three days at least. 

Wish List

HSPPR is happy about the successes of their lost and found program, but they are not content to rest on laurels. Kris notes they would love to be able to find a way to allow the public to view the agency’s lost and found reports online. Have any suggestions for how to implement this?  Email HSPPR at info@hsppr.org.