How to Search Pet Harbor

Contributor

By Melissa Maroff
eHow Contributing Writer

Article Rating:

(9 Ratings)

If you live in the United States or Canada and lose a pet, find a pet or want to adopt a pet, Pet Harbor is a great website to search. Whether it's a dog, cat, rabbit, bird, hamster, or even a horse or sheep, you can use Pet Harbor to access local animal shelters and rescues, and animal welfare organizations such as the SPCA and Humane Society. Here is how to make the most of Pet Harbor.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Step 1

Go to petharbor.com.
Step 2

Enter your zip code (or Canadian postal code) or the name of your city if you live in the U.S.
Step 3

Press enter on your keyboard or click on "Find Shelters" (either will work).
Step 4

An alphabetical list of shelters, rescues and animal organizations in your area will come up. Check off the box of the one you are interested in searching--then click "Search Now."
Step 5

Click on the type of search: "Adoptable Pets," "Lost Pet," "Found Pet" or "ID Search" (if you happen to know the ID number assigned by the shelter and want to check if a particular animal is still available).
Step 6

Click on the animal type: "Dogs," "Cats" or "Others" (if you are not searching a particular ID number).
Step 7

Define your search. Fill in any pertinent information including: Breed (you can also check "Show Similar Breeds"), Gender, Age, Size, Main Color--then click "Search Now."

Tips & Warnings

The fewer characteristics you enter, the more animals will come up in the results.
If you don’t find the animal you are looking for, you can register to receive email alerts when similar animals show up at local shelters—or in the case of a lost pet, you will be notified if one matching your description is found by the public or is turned in to a shelter.
When searching for a lost pet it is best not to enter the size or color because these two characteristics can be interpreted differently. The same with gender; people often confuse males and females, so it's best not to enter the sex.
If you are interested in adopting a pet, first check your city animal control shelters because they are normally the fullest and have to euthanize animals due to lack of space. Private shelters and rescues are normally “no-kill,” except in the case of a larger organization such as the SPCA, which also may euthanize due to lack of space.

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