Families use every measure to find lost or missing pets. Affixing posters around the community is one way to get help in locating their dog, cat or other family pet. Contacting your local animal control office is another means many use.
Photographs of missing or lost dogs and cats and other animals are constantly being posted to the New Bedford Police Animal Control Facebook pages.
Some will be reported as found, whether they returned home on their own or were dropped off at the new animal control headquarters at 890 Brock Ave. to be reunited with their owners. Sadly, some are lost forever.
New Bedford's Director of Animal Control Emanuel “Manny” Maciel and two other animal control officers work seven days a week and log in all calls about missing dogs, cats and other pets, including the owner’s contact information, when they went missing and where they were found. This allows officers to match descriptions of lost pets with those that are found and help reunite them with their owners.
While the state requires all lost pets be held for seven days, New Bedford animal control holds lost pets for 10 days. Proof of rabies vaccination must be provided before pets will be released to their owners.
Maciel recommends pet owners have their pets microchipped to make it easier to identify the rightful owner. It is illegal to keep someone else’s pet as they are considered property.
