Frequently asked questions

No. You may submit a missing- or found-pet report without logging in. Creating an account makes it easier to edit reports, mark a pet as found and register pet profiles before an emergency.

Use a clear recent photo and include the pet’s name, type, breed, sex, distinctive features, suburb, province and last-seen date. Avoid publishing private information that is not needed to identify the pet.

The website can use your device location only through your browser’s permission controls. Location may be used to populate an area, calculate approximate distance to a report suburb and apply nearby filters. Your precise device coordinates are not displayed on public pet cards.

The starting point is your current device location when you have permitted it. The destination is normally the approximate centre of the suburb shown on the report, not the reporter’s exact private address. The number is therefore useful for orientation, but it is not turn-by-turn navigation.

No. Public pet cards are designed to show pet and area information without exposing the reporter’s email address, mobile number or precise coordinates. Authorised platform administrators may access private contact details when needed to moderate or assist with a report.

Log in and open your Dashboard. Under Your recent reports, use the edit, delete or found controls available for reports linked to your account.

Every missing- and found-pet submission first enters Review status. An authorised administrator checks it before changing it to Approved, and only Approved alerts are public. Selecting or paying for an Alert Booster does not bypass moderation. A report may later be Closed or Declined, and editing any report returns it to Review so the changes can be checked.

A pet profile stores your pet’s key identifying details and photo before an emergency happens. When reporting that pet missing, you can select the saved profile to prefill the report.

Community Spotter is free. The Hero Hub advice blog is also free and open to everyone. Homecoming Hero costs R59 per month and includes Assisted Reunion Support and one free Alert Booster each South African calendar month. The member may use it on their own eligible approved missing-pet alert or donate it to another eligible approved alert.

An Alert Booster gives one missing-pet alert assisted reunion support, a poster design for sharing, a top-ranked alert and banner for five days, and WhatsApp notifications to members who opted in. The R49 once-off paid option can be selected while submitting a missing-pet report; verified payment activates the booster after the alert has been approved through the normal review process. It can also be purchased later for an eligible approved alert. An active Homecoming Hero may use one free Alert Booster per South African calendar month or donate it to another eligible approved missing-pet alert. A successful donation uses that month’s free credit. Each report can receive only one Alert Booster.

For account security, signed-in sessions are closed after 30 minutes without user activity. Moving, clicking, typing, scrolling, playing the game or actively watching an embedded video keeps the session active. Log in again to continue.

After verifying your email or signing in with Google, the profile-completion form lets you select the WhatsApp and email topics you want. In Dashboard > Edit profile, you can pause either channel or choose individual topics: nearby missing-pet alerts, your profile, your alerts, reunited pets and missing-pet advice. Switching off a channel disables all of its topics.

Yes. Use Cookie settings in the footer to change Analytics and External video permissions. Necessary storage remains active because it supports authentication, security and your saved choices.

Missing-pet alerts can be shared to Facebook or WhatsApp using the report-specific link. The link is designed to include the pet’s photo and identifying report details so that people can quickly understand and reshare the alert.

Do not pay strangers merely because they claim to have your pet. Ask for identifying proof that has not been publicly disclosed, avoid sharing verification codes or banking credentials, meet in a safe place where practical and involve a veterinarian, animal-welfare organisation or police if ownership or safety is disputed.

Confirm that you are using the correct email and that any confirmation email has been completed. For Google login, the website domain must be authorised in the Google OAuth configuration. You can also use Forgot password for an existing email or contact Missing Pets for support.

Use the secure Contact Us form, email contact@missingpets.co.za or use the WhatsApp option on the Contact page. When you are signed in, the contact form prefills your saved name, email and mobile number. Every valid submission is captured securely in the private administrator inbox for the team to review and respond to. Signed-in submissions are linked to the user ID for account support.