Here is what petfinder autoposts in lost pet threads on FB. Hope that helps:

* Take him/her to the nearest vet and ask them to scan for a chip, they will do it for free and a lot of pets have them now. You can also take him/her to any of the following places if it’s more convenient or after hours. PetSmart (Archer rd), UF Vet School (on the 16th blvd/behind VA), Affiliated Pet Emergency (near Tower rd/University ave). On Sunday’s these are also open and will scan for you: The Humane Society (6th street), Gainesville Animal Hospital (between 4p and 6p on 6th street). * Since it is a day/time our Animal Services Dept is closed you can take them to Affiliated Pet Emergency 352.373.4444 on Tower rd and University. They will keep them until Animal Services is open or the owner can pick them up from their if we find them. * It is REQUIRED BY LAW that you report having found him/her to Alachua County Animal Services at: 352-264-6870 option 4. You don't necessarily have to turn them over to ACAS but it is illegal to re home or keep a stray without "actively" looking for the owner (have them scanned, post fliers, post ads, call vets. etc...) for no less than 30 days.
Understand that without doing these things there is no way for an owner to find you and the dog may not have been lost in the same area you found them. I personally recommend that you do not keep a pet longer than 24 hours before taking them to ACAS (or have them picked up) because that is the first place owners look. The longer you keep them, the less chance they have of finding them. They are open Tuesday thru Saturday from 9:30 to 5:30 and are located at: 3400 NE 53rd Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32609 NOTE: ACAS is not a NO KILL shelter, but despite the rumors and what other county shelters are like their euth rates are very low because we have an abundance of rescues and programs to place pets. I (Gainesville Pet Finder) am not affiliated with them so I have no reason to support them other than my personal knowledge of the work they do.
* Post an ad on Craigslist under COMMUNITY then LOST and FOUND as well as under COMMUNITY then PETS. I would be cautious about posting an actual pic here and would be very careful to leave out specific details. Also if you post your phone number spell some of it out and split it up so it is not picked up by electronic scams that grab numbers (i.e.
352-494-4933 should be something like 352 four nine four 49 33). * Post fliers in the area where you found them using my "4L" rule: * LARGE (as large as possible) * LOUD (as bright as possible) * LESS (minimal detail) * LEGIBLE (if they can't read it, it's useless) NOTE: An effective flier needs to be able to be seen/read from 25 feet away
Example: FOUND DOG SIZE/COLOR PHONE NUMBER(S) * Call all of the vets in the area and let them know you have found them and see if they have any reports of missing pets matching that description. * With a window marker (you can get these from CVS, Walgreens, or Office Supply Store) or shoe polish write the info on your vehicle. If you found the pet in your neighborhood/complex: * Check with your postal carrier and garbage pick-up people, they are familiar with the surrounding area and are a great resource. * Apartment complex, check with the manger to see if they have been reported missing. * Check to see if there is an email group, facebook page, or any type of mass notification available. I know this is a long list and don’t have to do all of this, it's just some ideas of things you can do. You have already done more than most people so “THANK YOU”. Once a potential owner has been located but before you arrange to meet: Most of the time, false claims are not an issue and I don't expect you to run them through a lie detector but please do take some precautions to ensure the person you to who you are giving the pet is the actual owner. This can be accomplished by asking them the pets name (see if the pet responds), pictures, vet records or vets name to call and verify, personality traits, scars, tattoos, markings, favorite word, tricks, etc...
If you feel comfortable that you have the right owner let them know that at the time of the exchange you are going to want a driver’s license (or ID), car tag number, and to take a picture of them when they arrive. This alone will most likely weed out any person that has bad intentions.
Turning the pet over: You should know immediately (with dogs, cats not so much) by the pets reaction that you have a match. If the pet seems unfamiliar with the person or acts timid, you might want to tell them that you are uncomfortable with the exchange and would rather involve a third party. You can then schedule a time to meet them at a local Vet or ACAS, and or give the pet over to the Vet or ACAS to make the exchange. You would need to check with the Vet before doing this but most would be happy to as long as you are willing to take responsibility of the pet if the owner does not show.
Once they have been reunited, please make sure to go back and delete ads, pull down fliers and let people who you contacted know the pet has been found. Your efforts are very much appreciated by us, the animal and their human.
-Angela