DENVER – If your dog or cat went missing as strong winds walloped Colorado this week, you may be running out of time to get your pet back.
A recent report noted a spike in lost animals in Colorado Springs, where wind gusts approached 100 miles per hour Monday.
Denver7 contacted several shelters around Colorado and while most of them did not report an increase in lost pets this week, they said it is common to see an influx of strays following a wind storm.
Nasty weather can blow down fences, rip open gates and create lots of noise that can spook animals and send them running.
When that happens, shelters say pet owners should jump into action and start searching for their animal right away.
By law, all shelters in Colorado have to hold stray animals for a minimum of five days before they’re allowed to put them up for adoption.
Some shelters, including the Denver Animal Shelter, post photos of lost pets online and regularly update their listings with new arrivals.
However, Kaylene Weingardt with the Larimer Humane Society said it’s best to visit your local shelter in person if you think your pet is lost. That way, you can get a close look at the animals and easily identify your dog or cat.
If you don’t see your pet, check back often, because more animals show up at shelters all the time.
You can also file a lost pet report with your local animal control agency and post on social media and community websites like Nextdoor and Craigslist.
Pet owners should know that if they retrieve a lost pet from a shelter, the facility may charge various fees related to housing and caring for the animal and those fees may increase with time, so the quicker you’re able to retrieve your pet, the better.
If you find a lost pet, you can take it to a local shelter, where staff will check the animal for a microchip and attempt to reunite it with its family.
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