New Website Helps Find Lost Pets

Just a few short weeks ago, Erica and Gunter , when she slipped her collar on a walk in the South End. They searched frantically for three days before confirming the news – Lucy had been hit by a car in the Fenway area the same night she escaped.

Now, the couple is launching a city-wide alert system to help spread information about lost pets quickly. They hope their organization, named in honor of Lucy, will help others avoid their fate.

“In our case, we were constantly chasing old leads,” said Lucy Alert co-founder Erica. “Someone told us they saw her in the South End so we searched frantically for hours. By that point however, she was already in Back Bay and moving on to Fenway.” 

With Lucy Alert, owners can post information about their pets as soon as they go missing. The info appears on facebook and twitter as well as the organization’s webpage. An email also gets sent out to members through the Lucy Alert listserv. Joining is free and open to anyone – pet owners and residents who simply want to help. Members can choose how they wish to be notified about lost pets.

“The larger the network, the better chance a dog has of finding his or her family,” Erica said. “If we could have posted immediately to Lucy Alert, perhaps someone in another part of Boston would have seen her, been able to contact us instantly, and we could have saved her from her terrible fate.”

She and Gunter plan on visiting dog-friendly businesses, dog parks and shelters to get the word out about their network. Meanwhile, their website has resources for pet owners including sample flyers and suggestions for an emergency kit.

Click here to sign up or learn more.