Powerful Storms Increase Number Of Lost Pets

By Anser Hassan

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - One of the problems some residents may be dealing with following this week's massive storms is lost pets.

The Front Street Animal Shelter in Sacramento says they usually get 15-20 animals a day. But they received over 80 in just the past three days because of the storm. They are having free adoptions this weekend because they cannot keep them all.

"Especially with the winds as high as they were, fences were knocked over and dogs were able to escape," explained Ryan Hinderman, who directs social media at the shelter.

He says finding pet owners has been difficult.

"It's primarily because most don't have IDs, which would enable us to call the owner right away," he said.

Hinderman says only 10 percent of pets are reunited with their owners. But locating pet owners is only part of the problem.  A bigger issue for the shelter is the lack of resources and space to house the lost animals.

"Yeah, it's been tough. Have to keep dogs in the same kennel. It's tough. Lots of extra feeding, people to care for the animals and provide vet services," he says.

The shelter recommends if you have an outdoor pet, make sure they have a safe place to hide during a storm and be sure they have a collar ID. If you pet disappears, keep checking with the shelter every few days.

"Sometime people think their animal will just return before they make the trip to the shelter. That's a mistake. You want to look early on," explained Hinderman.

The shelter also recommends if your pet has gone missing to check online. Sometimes people who find an animal will try to find the owner themselves on social media or websites like Craigslist.