Regional Animal Services of King County is joining the nonprofit Missing Pet Partnership to help pet owners search for lost animals.

Through the program, Mission Reunite: Help and Hope for Lost Pets, Regional Animal Services volunteers can receive training from the Missing Pet Partnership to offer hands-on assistance to people searching for a lost cat or dog. Volunteers can also learn to find the owners of lost pets already at the shelter.

The training session is 1-3 p.m. Saturday at the King County Pet Adoption Center, 21615 64th Ave. S., Kent.

“When a pet goes missing, it can be very upsetting,” said Sarah Luthens, manager of volunteer programs for Regional Animal Services of King County. “Nationally, only 16 percent of lost dogs, and just 2 percent of lost cats, are ever reunited with their owners. The Mission Reunite program is a highly innovative, volunteer-based program that can improve those odds and reconnect lost pets with their families.”

People interested in the program should RSVP to sarah.luthens@kingcounty.gov or call 206-296-3946.

Missing Pet Partnership founder Kat Albrecht has been involved in finding missing pets since 1997, and founded the organization in 2001.

“While Mission Reunite can help reconnect lost pets with their owners, it’s also important for people to license and microchip their dog or cat,” Luthens said. “A pet that is licensed and microchipped has a much better chance of being reunited with its owner.”