Lost your pet in Cali’s earthquake? Here is how to identify and reclaim it

About 50 pets rescued after the Aug. 10 earthquake in Cali have already been returned to their homes. More than 180 remain at the city’s Animal Welfare Center, where their owners can begin the identification and recovery process.

Carmen Elena Domínguez Murillo, director of the center, urged people who lost pets during the emergency to check the institution’s official channels or visit its facilities. Families seeking to reclaim an animal must provide evidence of their relationship with it, including photographs, videos, vaccination cards or medical records.

The center receives visitors from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The city’s animal protection unit also resumed free sterilization programs on Sept. 1 in Cali’s districts and rural areas.

Animals that are not reclaimed remain at the center for 30 calendar days under current rules. Once authorities issue an administrative declaration of abandonment, they become eligible for adoption. Prospective adopters must be adults and submit a copy of their national identity card, proof of income, and photos and video showing where the pet would live.

The Cali mayor’s office also said it had referred a complaint to the Attorney General’s Office over alleged requests for money through a WhatsApp number associated with the center.

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We urge citizens who lost their pets during the emergency to check the entity’s official channels or come in person to advance the identification process.