Jamie Katz Real Life Pet Detective in South Florida
With a degree in criminal justice and a love for animals, Jamie Katz was headed for a career as an animal humane officer. But all that changed when a friend’s cat went missing one day.
Jamie called a private investigator off Craig’s List. They told her they were on their way from Boca Raton – for three days. She kept calling and they kept saying they were on their way, but they never showed.
Then her neighbor thought someone was trying to break into her house. They looked under the house and saw another cat that was not allowing her friend’s cat out. With the help of a broom, they got the feral cat away and were able to rescue her friend’s cat.
Originally from Massachusetts and then Maryland, Jamie had been interning in South Florida as a private investigator for people while doing animal rescue. Seeing how the two naturally blended, Jamie Katz Pet Detective was born.
Jamie has two working dogs trained to help her find missing pets – a Brittany and a terrier mix. Another two dogs were added to her family when an animal control office found them outside of her trash can at the end of her driveway in Aruba. These two Aruban dogs now call south Florida home.
Jamie’s Tips to Keep Your Dog Safe
Jamie recommends using a collar with the word “reward” and the owners cell number embroidered into the collar.
Have your pet microchipped and registered. Make sure to keep it up to date. If you move, update the registry.
Keep an eye on your dog if they’re out in your backyard. Never leave them alone. It only takes a minute for something to happen.
Jamie’s Tips if Your Pet is Missing
Post it on social media – Next Door, Neighbors by Ring, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Make signs. Post the signs to start in a two-mile radius of where the dog went missing, which will make it impossible for anyone to come in or out of the raidius without seeing a big sign. Start with a one-mile radius for cats.
If you receive a message saying “I have your dog,” ask the person to send you a photo. A lot of times they’re looking to get your information to hack you.
Jamie’s Best Advice if Your Pet is Missing
Jamie told me people freeze when their pet goes missing. Logically, they know what they should be doing, but everything goes out the window. They can’t think.
If your pet goes missing and you can, call her. She’s super organized and will do her best to help you find your beloved pet. She knows the ins and outs of looking for lost pets, as well as understands people and their motivations. Her track record is pretty good.
The One That Stands Out
The one case that really stands out in Jamie’s mind is of Tina, a 14 year-old Shiba Inu whose family was visiting from Canada.
Tina’s friend was in the driver’s seat. Tina was asleep on the passenger side front floor of a car when the car was carjacked. Can you imagine? The carjackers drove away with this 14 year-old blind dog on the floor. Jamie was contacted by a local news station and immediately jumped in to help. Someone called and said, I shared your post and license plate and gave an address. An anonymous call came in, and they found the dog inside. The carjackers had left the windows open and took the lid off the dog’s food container that was in the back seat.
It’s hard to believe but the carjackers but must have had a soft spot for dogs. Thankfully. Tina was traumatized but she was okay.
Contact Jamie
Jamie Katz is a real life pet detective. As a pet parent, pray you never need her services, but if you do she can be reached at 844-411-5289.