Thie have been trying to get shelters and sites listed as quickly as possible, but we now also want input on "search tips."  Please go to our CONTACT US page and send in any tips you may have to help people search.  HERE ARE THE TIPS WE HAVE SO FAR:

FOR those looking for MICROCHIPPED ANIMALS
Many animals were found with microchips in all the states hit by hurricane Katrina. Several hundred are already safely placed. Owners need to contact the microchip company they or their Vets used.  Here is a listing of some of the major microchip companies:

AVID MICROCHIP ID (also owns Pet Net Microchip company): 800-336-2843
and AVID MICROCHIP I.D. SYSTEMS:  (800) 434-2843
HOME AGAIN MICROCHIP RECOVERY: 866-738-4324
VET-LINK.COM MICROCHIP: 800-838-8563

Those who are looking for your microchipped pets need to update/change your contact information with the microchip company.  Some microchip companies will make this change for FREE if your pet was lost during Katrina.

When Using Petfinder.com
TIPS: You may enter specific information about your pet in order to narrow the search, but you may wish to look through all breeds that may be similar to your pet's breed (because many breeds are difficult to identify and may be posted incorrectly, and information may have been entered incorrectly). Also, you may format the pages to be a "quick view" with four animals across the page, in columns, or you may choose the "list view," which lists pets one at a time down each page. If you don't see your pet, please go ahead and look through all the dogs or cats (even different "gender" than your pet, as it may have been listed incorrectly), and all areas. Also, many animals still do not have photos, so be sure to look at the detailed description.  It is a long list, but your pet may be there on that list somewhere. Don't give up!  

Taken directly from the HSUS.com site:
• Click on "I am looking for my pet."

• Enter as much information as you have, and search.

• Look at the photographs carefully! Most were taken in bad lighting or at night. Many are of animals in cages, or positioned in a way that makes identification difficult. Look for your pet's identifying marks—unusual spots, markings, signs of aging, colors.

• Read the information included. If you see a cat that kind of looks like yours, and you know your cat was wearing a green collar, check to see if there is a mention of a collar anywhere in the animal's record. (But don't exclude an animal from your search based on the lack of a collar or ribbons or any other accessories—many of these were lost in the ordeal.)

• If you don't get any results, try leaving off parts of what you know. For example, if you're looking for a male Irish setter lost in New Orleans, start by including all of that. Then try different variations: Include the breed, but leave the field for gender at "All." Try the zip code with just the species. Try the species with the gender. Not everyone knows animal breeds well. Even if you know your animal is a Papillion, don't just search under that breed. Search the King Charles spaniels. Search all the smaller dogs. This is especially relevant if your animal is a mixed breed; even if you're certain the animal is half shepherd and half poodle, rescuers probably won't have listed it that way.

• Unless your pet was wearing a collar and a tag with his/her name on it, searching under his/her name will probably not get results. Even if your animal had a tag, he may have lost it in the storm. Don't give up because you can't find an animal named Fluffy—broaden your search and keep looking.

• If you see an animal who looks like your pet, check to see if there is any contact information attached to the record. Many organizations are posting their phone numbers and e-mail addresses so that owners can get in touch. If you can't find any contact information for the animal, call 1-800-HUMANE-1. They may be able to trace the group that has the animal now.

• Keep checking the web site. Many groups are still in the process of getting their animals loaded onto the site. Check back often for your animal.

Other tips:
• You can use the Find (Ctrl F function or FIND on your browser under Edit/Find) to find information for each page you load on petfinder.com. So, if you want to look for something specific once all pets come up on a page, use this feature.

• Enter more than the number of pets they have listed per page. In other words, change the total number on a page, so you can bring up more pets per page (this is faster, especially if you have high-speed Internet).

• When entering an ID number, separate the letters from the numbers, like this:
PF 0000 or LA 0000; enter this under the Petfinder system or shelter/rescue-assigned id number at the bottom of their search FOUND records page, if you have a tracking/id number. Enter only one number at a time, if you have more than one tracking number.

When Using Petharbor.com
Petharbor.com now has an area where you may enter an address, parrish, or street information. You can find this just above the I LOST MY PET boxes, on the right hand side of their homepage, under KATRINA LINKS:
http://petharbor.com/
They do have quite a few FOUND addresses listed, so be sure to enter this information to begin your search.  Widen the search if you do not find the address you were seeking in the system. You may enter more detailed information about your pet once you link onto the area you are searching.