Los Angeles, June 28, 2023 – Just in time for the July 4^th holiday, Petco Love Lost, LA Animal Services, and 20 Los Angeles animal shelters are teaming up to reunite lost pets with their families and free up space in the region’s overcrowded shelters by preventing lost pets from entering shelters and sending them home more quickly if they do.

“Imagine losing your pet scared from the July 4^th fireworks. Panic sets in as you begin your search, only to find out that the process to find them can be complicated. You’re told you should visit all area animal shelters, post on a multitude of social media sites and lost and found pages, update microchip information, and post flyers around town. It is overwhelming for a pet parent desperate to find their lost pet,” explains Petco Love COO Abbie Moore. “It is simply time for a better system to reunite lost pets.”

The LA Lost Pet Coalition is rallying for change by uniting 20 shelters to focus on one main search tool, Petco Love Lost. Petco Love Lost, the nation’s largest nonprofit lost and found pet database, utilizes patented image-recognition technology, and includes pets from nearly every animal shelter in the Los Angeles area, privately reported lost and found pets, and even pets posted on social media. This partnership launches during a crucial time as more pets go missing on the Fourth of July than any other day of the year.

"LA Animal Services is pleased to be a part of the LA Lost Pet Coalition,” said Annette Ramirez, Interim General Manager for LA Animal Services. “By providing Petco Love Lost as a main search tool for Angelenos to use to find both lost and found pets, regardless of where they live in the City or whether they live in the surrounding LA-area, we know this will help simplify the search so lost pets and their families can be reunited.”

The LA Lost Pet Coalition is a joint effort between Petco Love, LA Animal Services, Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care & Control, Pasadena Humane, Riverside County Department of Animal Services, Southeast Area Animal Control Authority (SEAACA), Burbank Animal Control, and Long Beach Animal Care Services. Coalition members urge pet parents to report and search for lost and found pets on Petco Love Lost. Pet parents can also take proactive measures and register their pets on PetcoLoveLost.org in case their pet goes missing.

“By using one central database for lost and found pet reports on PetcoLoveLost.org, instead of a mile-long checklist of actions, we'll reunite the maximum number of pets. I like to say, ‘If they all go in, they all go home!’” said Moore.

To celebrate the partnership, Petco Love Lost will also give all Los Angeles-area pet parents who file a lost or found pet report between July 1^st and 5^th a free targeted Facebook ad. 

Estimates suggest one in three pets goes missing in their lifetime, 10 million every year, and many never return home. You can make sure your pet’s profile is up to date on Petco Love Lost to help find your pet as soon as possible if they go missing. Community members can also help other families reunite with their pets by checking lost pets in their area here, lost.petcolove.org. 

For more information and additional resources on what to do if you have lost a pet or found a pet, visit laanimalservices.com.

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