LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Because of the coronavirus, we are social distancing ourselves and Betsy Robb with Friends of the Animal Village in Little Rock joined us via FaceTime to talk about their response to the virus, as well as what to do if you lose or find a pet during this time.
Betsy is joined by Dante, a totally hairless dog who is currently being fosterd by Betsy. She will be fostering him for at least three months as he receives treatment for heart-worms.
The Animal Village need donations for their heart-worm treatments. You can donate here:
Mayor Frank Scott Jr. announced all city facilities are to be closed starting Wednesday, March 18 as part of the city's efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As a city facility, that includes the Little Rock Animal Village.
They will of course continue to have staff at the shelter daily to care for the animals, just like they do on Sundays, Mondays, and holidays. Animal Services Officers will continue to work high priority calls first as usual. No owner surrendered animals will be taken during the closure unless it is deemed an emergency.
To search for a lost pet at the Little Rock Animal Village you will need to email LRAV and include the following details:
- description of your pet
- where they went missing from
- when they went missing
- owner's name
- owner's phone number
- photo of the pet
Staff will look through the kennels for your lost pet submissions and contact you if they believe they are there.
They recommend that if you have lost or found a pet, check Arkansas Lost & Found Pet Network and submit their information as a lost pet or a found pet if you don't see them already posted.
It is important to continue to check for found/lost posts. Often people submit a lost or found pet and assume the other party will see it, but if they both assume that, neither will see the other's post.
They also recommend that you check Nextdoor if you are a member of your neighborhood's Nextdoor community. This has proven to be a powerful tool for reuniting lost pets with their families.