If you have ever found a stray animal and wondered what happens after you drop it off at the shelter, the City of Great Falls Animal Shelter has a process designed to get that pet home as fast as possible.
WATCH STORY HERE:
The first step starts with you. When someone brings a stray animal in, shelter staff ask for a photo ID and gather information about where the animal was found and what condition it was in. As a municipality, the shelter is required to document everything that comes through its doors — and that information is also critical for tracking zoonotic diseases that can be transmitted to humans or other animals.
"First thing when they come in — photo ID, and get some information from them. We then also gather information about where the animal was found, what condition the animal was in, all of that sort of stuff. Get that all entered into the computer," said Laramie Smovir, Operations Manager at the City of Great Falls Animal Shelter.
From there, staff immediately scan the animal for a microchip — the fastest and easiest way to reunite a pet with its owner. If a microchip is found, the shelter contacts the microchip company for current owner information and reaches out by phone, email, and physical mail. Staff also check the collar for tags or any writing on the inside, and search Great Falls Lost and Found Facebook pages and Back.com for matching posts.
Animals without any form of identification are held for 72 hours. Those with identification — a microchip, tag, or collar — are held for 96 hours, giving owners an extra day to reclaim them.
Smovir says the goal is always the same — get the animal home as quickly as possible.
If you have lost a pet, contact the City of Great Falls Animal Shelter at (406) 454-2276 or visit greatfallsmt.gov.
