CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. -- A new design for Catawba County’s Animal Services web site features a way for citizens to post details about lost and found animals, and search information others have posted about missing and rescued animals.  The addition is just the latest is a series of new features that will be found at www.catawbacountync.gov/depts/es/animal.asp.

“We recently updated our web site to make it easier for people to find the exact information they want and meet their specific needs,” said Jay Blatche, Catawba County’s Animal Services Manager.  “We’ve made the page more interactive, especially with the new way to report lost or found animals and look at information about animals that are missing or have been found.”

The newest links are prominently featured at the center of the page.  Large buttons next to pictures of dogs and cats lead to information about the animals currently available for adoption at the Animal Shelter and to links for reporting, and viewing information about, lost and found pets. 

“Anyone who clicks on the link to report a lost or found animal will be taken to a page with a form where he or she may give a lot of detailed information about the animal,” Blatche said.  “They may type in whether the animal is a dog or cat, the breed and sex if known, the approximate age, the size of the animal and its main colors, and the date and location where the animal was found or last seen.  There’s also a box where the person making the report can give a detailed description of the animal.”

Another link is labeled, “View Lost/Found Animals”.  It takes users to the full list of animals that have been reported as lost or found.  Users may click on a button at the top of the page to search  only for lost or found animals and will be able to see a lot of useful information, including breed, sex, color, age, description and the date the animal was found or last seen, all on a single line.   The user can also click on a link at the end of each row to view more information about a given animal.  Lost and found information placed on the site may also be removed if, for example, the lost animal is found or is safely reunited with its owner.

The newly designed page has other links grouped by category.   One set of links gives information about the location and operating hours of the Animal Shelter and a set of frequently asked questions.    Another set of links focuses on pet health and safety, and includes pet safety tips and a link to report possible animal cruelty cases.  Other links give a wide range of information about the adoption of animals and offer citizens the opportunity to donate to the Animal Shelter or volunteer to work at the shelter.

“We’re very aware of how traumatic it is for pet owners who have lost a beloved pet and how difficult it can be for a caring person who is trying to locate the owner of a dog or cat they have found,” Blatche concluded.  “One of the most important parts of our work in Animal Services is reuniting lost animals with their owners.  We are confident this new online tool is going to increase the number of cases where pets and their owners are brought back together.  I thank the County’s Technology staff for their work on the new web page, which we hope the community will find useful.”

For more information on Animal Services or its web page, you may call 828-464-7686.