Jacksonville Animal Care & Protective Services’ website has a new look, but it’s not just cosmetic.
The shelter’s page on the City of Jacksonville’s website now has a dedicated section where people can see dogs and cats reported found or missing in the community, as well as exactly where they are located on a map.
“Lost animals often don’t stray further than a few blocks of home, so narrowing the search area can be crucial for speedy reunions,” the shelter said in a social media post.
The page also features a list of every animal in the shelter’s care that came in as a stray and when they were found, giving owners an easier way to check for their missing pets.
A free tool is being used to consolidate all the information: Petco Love Lost, advertised as the largest free central database of lost and found pets in the country.
ACPS encourages families to register their pets in the database along with updated microchip information, whether they’re missing now or not.
The website update comes after a successful push by the shelter to lower its stray hold period. Instead of holding found pets for six days before allowing adoptions, the hold period is now five days.
ACPS initially advocated for a three-day stray hold period, which received pushback from animal advocates who feared it would lower reunification rates.
After several public community meetings, Jacksonville City Council members acknowledged other potential shortcomings with the website and shelter communications that could make it harder to reunite pets and owners.
In one example, Council Member Raul Arias pointed out that ACPS does not have a direct phone number, meaning people must call the generic city number to speak with shelter staff, potentially leading to calls and questions going unanswered. Arias said that in the future, he wants to look into budgeting for dedicated staff to handle ACPS calls.