Found a pet? Scan for a microchip!

Many pets are microchipped with the owner’s contact information to help your found pet get home! Visit any vet office, Petco, or Petsmart (with a Banfield office) to get your found pet scanned for free. You can also have this service done at your local shelter.

Once you have the number, enter it into the microchip registry (located on the next section to find the company it is registered to. Call the company to report the microchip number as lost, and they will alert the owner and get you connected to get the lost pet back home!

If you’re finding lost pets frequently, you can buy a universal microchip scanner on Amazon for around $20. It may be convenient to keep in your car to reunite even faster!

Notify your local shelters!

The animal shelter is the first place an owner will look for their lost companion. It is important that the municipal shelter the pet was found in gets notified. Taking the pet away from the area will reduce the chances of the owner being reunited.

If you found a pet and cannot hold onto it, DO NOT GIVE IT AWAY! It is illegal to rehome lost pets without a proper stray hold period. If you cannot hold the pet, the best course of action is to contact the municipal shelter the animal was found in for further instruction.

Found kittens? Leave them where they are!

Before you touch, look for mom. It is likely mom is taking good care of her kittens. Provide mom and her kittens with food, a dry and clean shelter, and continue to monitor their well-being. Once the kittens are able to eat wet food on their own, around 4-5 weeks old, you can bring them into your home to provide foster care and prepare them for adoption, find a local rescue, and TNR mom.

Post on L&F websites and social media!

Links to many websites and services will be listed below to post your found pet. Pawboost, Petco Love Lost, and Nextdoor are excellent tools and ways to search for your lost or found animal. Additionally we recommend posting in local neighborhood, town, and city Facebook groups as well as specific lost and found animal groups within your area. Don’t forget to include cross-streets!

Try old school! Posters work too!

While new technology can make things easier and lead to reuniting pets, posting large, colorful lost and found posters around the area the pet was found or missing can help reunite families. Often your local pet store will also allow the public to post lost and found flyers  at the front of their store too.

Never assume a pet was “dumped” or unwanted!

A pet who appears malnourished or uncared for may not mean they are unloved, unwanted, or neglected. Some pets can be lost and surviving on their own for days, weeks, or months at a time and their condition is not attributed to their owner’s care. Even if you saw a pet be released by someone, there is no guarantee that the person was their owner. They may have been picked up when they got lost and later released, all while still having their owner searching for them. It’s important to follow the same procedures as any other found pet.