Kat's Corner: Why PawBoost Might Be Hurting, Not Helping, Lost Pet Recovery in Your Community

If you've ever searched for a lost pet on Facebook, you've almost certainly come across a post from PawBoost. Their posts are instantly recognizable: a photo of a missing animal, overlaid with the PawBoost name and branding. These images get widely shared—out of compassion and hope, not necessarily support for the company behind them. And that’s where PawBoost has quietly built its empire: not on effectiveness, but on visibility.

But there’s a lesser-known side to PawBoost’s rise to prominence—and it deserves attention. While they’ve managed to dominate the lost pet space online, particularly in small to mid-size communities, the way they’ve done so may actually hinder grassroots efforts that are more effective, local, and humane.

PawBoost’s Growth Strategy: Branding Over Community

At its core, PawBoost’s success lies in their relentless focus on self-promotion. Every pet post is branded, and these branded posts are what get shared. What they don’t do? Share other groups’ posts. That’s right—PawBoost will not reshare lost pet posts from other local pages, no matter how helpful it would be in getting a pet home.

This strategy isn’t about saving animals. It’s about staying at the top of your search results.

Try typing “Lost Dog [Your City]” into Facebook. Chances are the first page you’ll see is a PawBoost-branded one. That's no accident. Instead of maintaining one national page, PawBoost has carved up its brand into hundreds of regional ones to capture traffic and keep it away from actual community-led groups.

The Problem With That? It’s Choking Out Real Help

In areas where PawBoost dominates, it’s increasingly hard for local grassroots groups to gain a foothold. Why does this matter? Because most of these community-based groups, unlike PawBoost, actually do the legwork needed to reunite pets with their people.

Let’s take Lost Pets of Omaha Area (LPOOA) as an example. It’s a public Facebook page with over 66,000 followers in the Omaha region, and it operates at no charge to pet owners. More importantly, the people behind it are experienced, compassionate, and actively involved.

Here’s what they offer that PawBoost does not:

1. Personalized, Situational Advice

Not every missing pet should be searched for in the same way. Personality, location, weather—all these factors matter. LPOOA's moderators understand this and tailor their guidance accordingly. They also maintain a free, accessible web resource hub for pet owners.

2. Active Search and Networking

LPOOA volunteers don’t just wait for tips to come in—they search. They check other pages, neighborhood forums, and area-specific groups. Many PawBoost pets are actually recovered thanks to LPOOA volunteers. If PawBoost is actively helping behind the scenes, there’s little sign of it.

3. Post Sharing—Even with “Competitors”

If another page has a lead that might help a lost pet, LPOOA shares it. Even PawBoost posts are allowed on the LPOOA page. That open-door policy is what community is about. By contrast, PawBoost never reciprocates.

4. Partnerships with Local Organizations

LPOOA works hand-in-hand with the Nebraska Humane Society and other local resources. That collaboration makes a difference.

5. Reliable, Ethical Advice

PawBoost does link to articles about lost pet recovery, but some of their advice is outdated or flat-out wrong. LPOOA offers only vetted, expert-informed guidance—because bad advice can literally cost a pet its life.

Taking Credit Without Doing the Work

PawBoost’s posts often get marked “REUNITED”—but there’s rarely any explanation of how the reunion happened. Did the PawBoost post help? Was it a neighbor, a vet clinic, a chip scan, or a different group entirely?

That missing piece matters. Not just because it's honest, but because it teaches others what works. LPOOA celebrates reunions and shares the how—whether it's a flier that worked, a tracking method, or a community tip-off. It builds knowledge. PawBoost builds brand awareness.

One telling example? On their website, PawBoost displays a flashy banner quoting the New York Times. Sounds impressive—until you actually read the article. It’s about how social media helps reunite lost pets. PawBoost is mentioned in just one sentence, with no opinion or endorsement. Yet PawBoost flashes it like a badge of credibility, assuming most people won’t look deeper.

What Happens if PawBoost Disappears?

Nothing catastrophic. Pets would still be found—maybe even faster. Local pages like LPOOA and hundreds of others across the country already do the hard work. If PawBoost went away tomorrow, these groups would fill the gap. In fact, they’d likely grow stronger without PawBoost intercepting traffic and attention.

Let’s be clear: what PawBoost does isn’t illegal. But it is misleading. It’s designed to benefit the company, not the pets. And in the process, they’ve made it harder for grassroots organizations—many of whom are actually doing the work—to grow and thrive.

Final Thoughts

If you’re trying to get a pet home, your best bet isn’t the brand with the biggest banner. It’s the group that will work alongside you, that knows your city, and that puts the animal first—every time.

In Omaha and the surrounding area, that group is Lost Pets of Omaha Area. In your community, it might be a different group. But chances are, it’s not PawBoost.

When the goal is reunification—not marketing—choose your partners wisely.

Want to help? Follow your local pet recovery group. Share their posts. Volunteer. And spread the word: visibility should never come at the cost of effectiveness.