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 Doggone It? Don't Despair! By Paul Erland  In the Lost and Found Department of life, there are few articles that elicit the heartache and trauma, the empathy and solicitude of a lost or found pet. While the loser may founder in a sea of fear and uncertainty, the finder may also lose sleep wondering what to do with the newfound charge. Nashville Pet Finders (NPF), a non-profit organization founded by Sonya Velez, can connect the parties involved in the loss of a pet. The Web-based service, free to the public, covers Nashville and surrounding areas, with the encouragement and blessing of animal control and humane associations throughout Middle Tennessee. "In nine out of ten cases the lost pet is OK," says Velez. "The people who've found it are doing everything they can to care for it. They just don't know what to do with it _ how to get it back to its owner." NPF fills that void. Anyone who finds a pet can go to its Web site (www.nashvillepetfinders.com) and post his or her name, telephone and e-mail address, a description of the animal and even a photo. The procedure is easy, thanks to drop-down boxes with choices of data. People with lost pets can likewise post information, as well as search the site's database of found pets. They'll also find a support system of sorts, including advice on what other steps to take to recover their pet. Velez communicates personally with many of her site's users, providing a shoulder to lean on and encouragement based on her own success stories. Accounts of happy reunions between owners and pets are posted at the site from time to time. "I feel like a pet social worker sometimes," she says. The idea for the Web site came to Velez a couple of years ago. Driving in the rain one day, she saw a soon-to-be unreadable sign on a pole, advertising a found dog. Figuring there had to be a better way to reunite lost pets with their owners, she consulted a friend, a Web site developer, who liked her idea of a site to bring lost pets, owners and finders together. They took a year to build the site, making it informational and easy to navigate. Then Velez began to promote it. NPF has since been written up by the Tennessean, The City Paper and Nashville Parent, among other local publications, and WKRN, WSMV and NewsChannel 5 have all done one or more broadcast features about the organization. Whenever stories circulate about one of the numerous scams _ and there are dozens _ that prey on pet owners, NPF is generally trumpeted as a force of resistance. "There are lowlifes out there who take advantage of desperate people," says Velez. "I warn people about the more obvious scams _ never hand over reward money before you've got your pet in your hands, and never, ever give your credit card number to anyone on the phone, for example _ and I direct visitors to my site to another site, www.PetClub.org, where they can read in great detail about all the con games out there." NPF has links at its site to other pet-related services in Middle Tennessee, including animal shelters, kennels, veterinarians, humane societies and the like, as well as to some fun sites offering everything from doggie donuts to spa packages for pets. (Check out www.beastlyfurnishings.com _ pick out a sofa or recliner for your pooch and chances are he'll want to stay home and not get lost.) Velez owns two pets herself, a pair of Hairless Chinese Cresteds named Romeo and Zelda, and the thought of losing either is enough to keep her motivated to help those who have lost a pet. She doesn't charge for her service (but she'll take donations!) because she "wouldn't feel right" about doing so. "People are distraught enough when they lose a pet," she says. "If I can help them, even just by easing their mind a little, then I feel like I've done something good." Nashville Pet Finders is a non-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible. Send your contribution to P. O. Box 128456, Nashville, TN 37212. Visit the web site at www.nashvillepetfinders.com. Call 615-383-0887. |
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