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Letter to the editor

Web eases search for long-lost pets

An Internet site lets you search here and abroad. You also can adopt a pet online.

By JACKIE RIPLEY
Published June 10, 2005

Finding your lost dog, cat or hamster is now a little easier thanks to the Internet and a nationwide Web site called PetHarbor.com.

In fact, adopting a pet from Hillsborough County Animal Services also is easier thanks to the new software.

"The Internet has been a real boon," said Greg Berhow, projects manager for county animal services. "We went online about a year ago and are trying to make the public aware."

As soon as an animal arrives at animal services, its photo is taken. The photo, along with date of arrival, gender, approximate age and breed are entered into the shelter's database. That information is transmitted to www.petharbor.com a not-for-profit Web site.

"There are two purposes," said Stacy Williams, a community relations coordinator with the county. "They take their picture to help find the owner, and on the other side of it they show pictures of animals that are adoptable."

PetHarbor.com helps connect the general public to the large amounts of data kept by the animal-care industry. Its database includes local animal shelters, the SPCA, humane societies, county and city animal control agencies and many private animal-welfare organizations. In Hillsborough County only animal services is listed on the Web site.

The site got 40,000 hits in April, Berhow said.

A pet owner clicks on the pet's photo to learn its shelter identification number as well as descriptive information and when it arrived.

The site also enables animal services to notify owners when an animal fitting a lost pet's description is brought in.

"You can almost put it on autopilot," Berhow said. "If they don't see their animal, say a lost toy poodle, they can ask that we send an e-mail letting them know if we did or didn't get one of these animals this day."

Owners looking for lost pets, however, should not rely solely on the Web site because shelter officials can take pictures of only about 80 percent of the pets that come into the shelter.

"We get as many as we can but sometimes you can't get a decent picture, or the animal is injured," said Bill Armstrong, director of animal services.

"People should come down here as soon as they realize their pet is lost, and come back every three or four days."

Animal services changed its policy because the longer animals are kept together in close quarters the easier it is for disease to spread. That in turn reduces the number of adoptable pets.

Between Oct. 1, 2003, and Sept. 30, 2004, shelter employees euthanized 27,968 dogs and cats.

Adopting a pet from animal services also is now just a double click away. In this case, instead of clicking on lost pets, click on adoptable pets. There is the opportunity to specify gender, age, breed and size. Or the search can be broadened by choosing no preference.

"A toy poodle will be snatched up in minutes and a big brown dog could stay for days," Berhow said. "But the big brown dog needs a home, too."

Berhow said anyone interested in adopting a pet should come to the shelter on Falkenburg Road early because more desirable animals are adopted soon after their picture is posted on the Web site.

Adoption costs vary but usually are $75 for dogs and $60 for cats. Senior citizens receive a discount.

- Jackie Ripley can be reached at 813 269-5308 or ripley@sptimes.com

813 744-5660 www.petharbor.com

[Last modified June 9, 2005, 10:29:11]