“We were frantically looking for her.”

As pet owners, we never think it can happen to us, but sadly 1 in 3 pets will go missing in their lifetime. Whether they’re curious following a scent, or slip out from an open gate, pets from loving, caring families go missing every day.

Melanie was enjoying time with her son’s dog, Nala, doting on her grand-fur-baby, and dutifully watching the sweet girl while he was out of town. But on the last day of dog-sitting, Melanie discovered that the 1-year-old Anatolian Shepherd had managed to escape their secure yard, without her noticing.

Melanie and her family looked everywhere for Nala. Terrified that she might have reached the busy road nearby their house, the whole family jumped in their car to continue their search late into the night. Without any success, Melanie returned home, worried sick, and wondering where Nala had ended up.

The next morning, Melanie turned to the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County’s lost pet webpage which lists steps to take if you’ve lost your pet. She saw the suggestion to try Petco Love Lost, a free, national resource that uses pet-facial recognition to promote animal reunions with owners. A simple photo upload will immediately scan the database of lost and found pets to check for possible matches.

“I uploaded her picture and it found her! Five dogs similar to Nala popped up and then Nala’s picture was right there!” said Melanie. Nala had been at the shelter since the previous night after a neighbor picked her up and brought her to the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County.

Melanie’s family came to the shelter the minute we opened that same morning. Nala was ecstatic to see her dad again after her short adventure and Nala’s family felt instant relief once they had their girl back in their arms.

“Our family is so happy to have her back!” Melanie said. “One more thing, thank you to whoever picked her up and took her to safety! You’re wonderful!”

For more information on what to do if you lose your pet, please visit our lost pets page for resources and next steps.

Source: The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County