Be the neighbor who helps a pet get home
Pet Watch · Lost pet alerts for your area
How Pet Watch works
- 1
Get a heads-up
When a missing pet is posted within the distance you chose, you get one email, with its photo if there is one and the area it was last seen.
- 2
Keep an eye out
No searching needed. Look at the photo and keep it in mind as you go about your day. Don’t chase animals or enter private property.
- 3
Tell the owner privately
Recognize it? Share a sighting from the email. If the owner posted on FindLostPets, it reaches them privately. Your contact details are never shown publicly.
Lost pets aren’t only found through shelters. A household survey records pets found through neighborhood searches. Pet Watch lets people nearby know when a pet goes missing, so they can keep an eye out. See the research
What an alert looks like
What stays private
- Your email and alert areas are used to send and manage your alerts. They aren’t shown on the site or given to pet owners.
- Your contact details are never shown publicly.
What we share
- An alert shows only what the pet’s public page shows: its photo, name, breed, color and size, the area on that page and the last-seen date.
- If you share a sighting with an owner who posted here, they get what you write and the contact you choose, so they can reply. The owner may choose to show where and when you saw the pet on its page.
How often emails come
- Only when a missing pet is posted within the distance you chose, and only in its first day on the site. Found pets, shelter listings and sightings don’t send alerts.
- One email per pet, even if your areas overlap. Besides alerts, we email you only the confirmation and management links you ask for.
Questions
Can I choose more than one area?
Yes. Save up to five areas, each with its own distance setting. Overlapping areas won’t send duplicate emails for the same report.
Which pets will I receive alerts about?
New, verified missing-pet reports within the distance you choose. Each email links to the pet’s report.
What should I do when I receive an alert?
Look at the photo and details. If you recognize the pet or have useful information, open the report to share a sighting.
Can I pause or stop my alerts?
Yes. Open Pet alerts in My account to adjust distances, turn an area off, or pause all alerts.
Do I need to go out searching?
No. Participation is optional. If you recognize a pet or have useful information, open the report to share it. Don’t chase animals, enter private property, or put yourself at risk.
Is this different from following a pet?
Yes. Area alerts introduce newly reported missing pets nearby. Following a pet sends updates about that individual search. Manage both in Pet alerts.
Missing your own pet? Start a search