You see the flash of fur, then a tail disappears under your deck, or into your bushes! Who’s cat is that? Or maybe it’s a dog wandering along the side of the road. Do you stop to try and catch it, or call the animal catcher? What is the backstory on how this furry creature came to be left out in the open?
There are several options for any stray animals that you may encounter. Read below to determine if one of these may work for the animal you have “found”:
1. Animal Control: 919-996-1449. They “work closely with rescue groups that attempt to find homes for the nearly 5,000 animals they pick up each year.”-Raleigh NC Gov
2. Another option is an Animal Shelter. In Wake County, the Animal Center is “an open-admission animal shelter operated by Wake County. We receive all stray, abandoned & surrendered pets in Wake County. We work in partnership with fosters, volunteers and local
rescues, to treat and rehome thousands of homeless animals every year.” They are located at: 820 Beacon Lake Drive, Raleigh and their phone number is: (919) 212-7387.
2. Having a large military presence in our state, some animals are left behind when their owner deploys. There is a Rescue that works to find homes for these animals, Guardian Angels for Soldiers pets:
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3. Triangle Lost Pets (www.trianglelostpets.org). This website, sponsored by Wake County, allows individuals to post descriptive information and view maps of where pets have been lost or found. This site also allows individuals to prepare a Pet Flier that can be posted in neighborhoods.
4. Feral (wild) cats that are discovered/rescued/surrendered to shelters are normally not adoptable. Cary Community Cat Program: 919-378-1867
5. Finally, there are several Foster Pet Programs: http://www.petfoster.org/
where found animals can be viewed and fostered. C.A.R.E. for Animals, Best Friend Pet Adoption (dogs only), Heaven and Earth Animal Rescue Team, Marley’s Cat (and Dog!) Tales and Paw Prints Animal Rescue to name a few!
Please don’t ignore the animal, because if you don’t do something to help, who will?
