Losing a pet is traumatic. But this site could make searching easier in Southlake area.
Being separated from a pet can be a traumatic experience for both the owner and the animal. Neighborhoods are frantically searched, flyers are posted, phone calls are made, all in an attempt to relocate.
And now, folks in and around Southlake can expedite matters with a Facebook app created by Brad Uptmore, public relations officer for the Southlake Police Department.
“I was getting tons of requests, ‘Can you please put this out on Facebook?’” Uptmore said. “I didn’t think that belonged on a police and fire page. We couldn’t just ask, ‘Have you seen these 18 dogs?’”
But that question could be asked on a site devoted to finding pets, he said. And it narrows the process for the frantic owner.
“That’s a harrowing thing, and to monitor all those sites looking for your pet doesn’t make it any less,” Uptmore said.
So, the Lost and Found Pets in Keller, Southlake, Colleyville, Texas site was created on Facebook.
Uptmore knows a lot about using Facebook to get messages. In fact, he and the Southlake PD won the prestigious Silver Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America last year for using social media to help law enforcement do its job.
He is also widely known for his humorous posts to enhance public awareness, such posting a video of officers issuing pumpkin spice scented traffic tickets during the fall, and saying farewell to a fallen safety cone. And, of course, there’s the famous “Hey gurl” post, which was written in the form of a letter to a woman who suspected of identity theft, containing lipstick emojis and girl talk, containing information about the case. In less than a day it reached more than three million people.
So, Uptmore figured if other posts could draw such a following, why not use that same approach to reunite pets and owners?
Recent posts include:
“Two sweet pups found behind Target on corner of Glade and Heritage. We took them to the Euless Animal Shelter. Sweet babies. Hope they are chipped.”
“Reunited! Meecho is back home safe and sound after 10 hours and 50 minutes.”
“Sparky is home safe and sound after three days, 16 hours.”
“Everyone knows what a soft heart I have for animals, especially dogs. Our pets are a part of our family, and keeping them safe and protected is essential,” Southlake Mayor Laura Hill said. “It’s great to see this city created page used as a resource to reunite pets with the families that love them.”
The site mostly features dogs and cats, but it is open to any owner trying to find his/her pet, or for someone looking to get said pet back to its owner.
“Up here we still have a lot of country living, but I haven’t seen any horses or cattle on there yet — but that would be fine. I think I saw a goat request on there one time,” Uptmore said. “People have put up warnings, such as bobcat sightings, or to say watch out for coyotes.”
The site is not, however, for reporting animal cruelty or similar incidents, Uptmore said. For that, he recommended calling 9-1-1. And it’s not complaining about a neighbor’s barking dog, with a call to animal control best serving that situation.
Uptmore is a recent pet owner himself. He made a few posts himself recently when the family’s dog got loose before the pet came back on its own.
“I thought, ‘What am I going to tell my kids?’ I’m scouring the neighborhood for this chihuahua,” he said. “It reinforced why this (site) is here. I made three or four posts. I got that frantic feeling.
“You can now call me an animal lover. We also have a beta fish.”