4,000 South County Residents Step Up to Spread Word on Lost Dog

You could call Nancy Hunt a ‘pet detective’—one of her responsibilities as Crestwood Animal Control Officer is reuniting lost pets with owners. Many residents know the animal shelter in Crestwood’s Whitecliff Park acts as an adoption center—but it’s also become a preferred lost pet drop-off for South County residents. (The St. Louis County Animal Control shelter is located in Olivette.)

Hunt posts these animals to STL Lost Pets, but the use of Facebook—and the participation of more than 4,000 users in one case—is proving to be a fast, efficient way to let neighbors help her spread the word.

Sometimes she is successful in reuniting pets with their families. Other times, she must help them find a new place to call home.  

Hunt spent around three weeks searching for the home of a shaggy male terrier brought to the shelter in late January. He’d been found near Blackburn Park in Webster Groves. In addition to a post on STL Lost Pets, we helped share the news on Patch. More than 200 residents shared Animal Control and Patch Facebook posts with a basic description and Hunt’s contact information.

While the dog was microchipped, the information stored on it led to a defunct puppy mill, Hunt said. The poor guy stayed at the shelter unclaimed for quite a while—but on Feb. 9 Hunt was able to announce that he was returned to his owners.

Two weeks ago Hunt sent out information about a female dog that had been found near Reavis in South County and brought to the shelter. The dog had a collar, but no tags; the microchip’s information was out of date. Her name, according to the chip, is Pixie.

Read more: Help Crestwood Animal Control Reunite Lost Dog With Owner

The post garnered a whopping 4,381 shares directly from Crestwood Animal Control’s Facebook!

Late last week Hunt shared a good, and bad, update with Facebook fans: the owner was located, but is now disabled and unable to care for Pixie.  That means once Pixie makes a visit to the vet, she will be available for adoption at the Crestwood shelter.

Pixie is 9 years old and spayed.

“She loves kids & cats and is good with 'other dogs if they are not aggressive to her.' (Aren't they all?),” Hunt wrote.

Learn more about Crestwood Animal Control:

• Not for the Superstitious: Black Cat at Crestwood Animal Control Seeks New Home
• When a Squirrel Gets Loose in the UPS Store
• Peanut Butter Dog Treats Benefit Crestwood Shelter Animals
• Animal Lovers Wanted: Crestwood Animal Control Seeks Volunteers