PACC to partner with PetcoLove Lost on pet reunification effort

Pima Animal Care Center is partnering exclusively with the nonprofit Petco Love to use its PetcoLove Lost platform for lost and found reporting and matching of pets. 

In 2022, PACC took in 350+ more dogs than it got out. Shelter leadership hopes using the platform will enable them to reunite at least one more pet each day with their family to decrease shelter population to pre-pandemic numbers.

PetcoLove Lost uses a facial recognition technology to match photos of lost pets with found pets that are at the shelter or being housed with a community member. This platform is also beneficial for the following reasons:

- It can search pets at participating shelters and housed by community members throughout the U.S.

- Only the owner or finder’s name, email address, and phone number are required to use.

- It is a 3^rd party platform, so account information is kept private.

Here’s who it works. The owner or finder of a lost pet uploads the pet’s photo into the free-to-use PetcoLove Lost system, and the software will compare the pet’s photograph with photos of lost or found pets from participating shelters and community members in the indicated area. About 64% of all lost pets are found within a mile of their home with the majority of those found within a few houses of their home. 

The PetcoLove Lost software also gives pet owners access to pre-made flyers and allows them to easily post on social media about their lost and found pets to assist in sharing the word. Pets that are kept within their community have an 85% chance of being reunited with their families, compared to 20% or less when surrendered to a shelter.

Thus far in 2023, about a third of stray dogs coming into PACC have been reunited with their families. Shelter leadership is hopeful that the switch to PetcoLove Lost will help more lost pets get home.

Monica Dangler, PACC’s Director of Animal Services, said that this change has the potential to alleviate the shelter’s capacity crisis over time.

“If PACC was able to reunite just one more dog a day with their family, we would be able to get out of critical capacity,” said Dangler. “We are so excited to pilot this change to PetcoLove Lost and to see its long-term impact on animals in and out of the shelter.”

PACC is asking the community to help by taking two proactive steps to keep their pets safe.

- Register all your pets on Petco Love Lost so if they become lost you can quickly post as lost.

- If your pet is microchipped, register the microchip for free at My24Pet

If members of the public have lost or found a pet, please make a report today on PetcoLove Lost.  If the pet is at PACC, please come directly to the shelter to reclaim. In most cases, reclaims fees are waived, and free spay/neuter is available for your pet.

Pima Animal Care Center is located at 4000 N. Silverbell Road. The shelter is open from noon to 7 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, from 1:30 to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays, and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. All adoption fees are waived. All adopted pets are up-to- date on vaccines, microchipped, and sterilized prior to adoption. To see all available pets and services, please go to pima.gov/animalcare.