It's something we at Seven on Your Side hear all the time from viewers: help me find my missing pet. Truthfully, there are so many missing animals, even Upstate animal control officers have a hard time keeping up. "Every day, we come across strays," says Officer Joanne Smythe with the Greenville city police department. It's why Smythe and others thought it might be a good idea to take the task online. The police department is now using it's Facebook page, trying to reconnect missing or lost animals with their famlies. Smythe takes a picture of every one she picks up, then it's posted for thousands of followers to see. "We thought, we're getting a lot of interest, and a lot of attention on this page, why not use that to our advantage with our missing animals," says Officer Alia Urps, who posts the pictures online. "Everyone is in to social media these days. Everyone is social networking."
Smythe says it makes sense. At Greenville's Animal Care Center, where she delivers all the animals she picks up daily, less than 5% come in the door with identification. "If they don't have a collar or a microchip, we've got to think outside the box and think of some other way to get them reunited with their owners."
So far, the effort has been successful. In recent weeks, a pair of shih tzu's and a pit bull have been happily reunited with their families. Urps recalls receiving a picture of the pitbull, thanking the department. "Several people recognized him, and said yes, he does have an owner," says Urps. "The owner found out the picture was posted on facebook and contacted us."
Even for those who cannot be reunited, the hope is that the exposure might encourage many to adopt. "We've had a lot of good response," says Urps.
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