What to Do with a Found Dog or Cat

What to Do if You Find a Dog or Cat

If you live in Texas and found a loose/stray dog or cat, you might think a quick call or visit to your local shelter will take care of the issue. Sadly, this is no longer the case! The shelters in Texas are at critical capacity. If you call animal control to report that you have found a dog or cat - they will likely tell you to leave it be. If you collected the dog or cat, they might give you advice...take it back where you found it! This is the result of an overpopulation crises of dogs and cats in Texas!

It is not your responsibility to spend hours and hours searching for an owner - especially if they are not looking for their pet. If you are an animal lover, you are likely sitting in your car with a strange dog, feeling hopeless. The best-case scenario is that someone will be looking for the pet you found and you can reunite them and go home happy!

VERY IMPORTANT: DO NOT hand a pet over to anyone who says it is their pet! Ask for proof such as vet records and recent photographs! Do not provide your address or phone number on public/social media forums. For location, you can use cross-streets.

Here's some suggestions:

Look for ID tags if it is safe and at your own risk

Check for tags on the pet’s collar and look for contact information. If there are no tags, take them to a Petco, vet, or shelter to scan for a microchip.

Report the pet you found on Petco Love Lost with a photo to make the pet visible to pet parents searching for their lost pet.

Get social

Speak with neighbors and anyone else in the area who might know who owns the pet.

Thousands of Texas dogs and cats are stray. We believe that joining social media groups to post a dog you have found is the best tool from our experience. Contacting a rescue organization is always a good idea, but rescues in Texas are overwhelmed with too many dogs and cats.

We have created a list of social media resources below:

My Pet is Lost

What to Do if You Lost Your Dog

If your dog is missing, begin your search on Petco Love Lost. Search our robust database by uploading a picture of your cat or searching by location. Powered by facial recognition technology, we help match found animals to reported lost pets nationwide.

Remember: you're searching for the person who's found or spotted your pet, so getting the word out is key.

Next:

Check to make sure your dog's microchip information is up to date so the person that finds your pet can reach you quickly if they're brought to a shelter or veterinarian's office and scanned.

Print flyers! For an easy flyer template you can print at home, upload your pet to Petco Love Lost and visit your dashboard to print your pet listing. You can also use Petco Love Lost's optimized shareables to get the word out on Facebook, Next-door, and Craigslist.

Post on social media through lost pet pages or groups on platforms like Facebook or Nextdoor, and ask others to share and spread the word. We have many social media groups you can post to:

Pawboost: https://www.pawboost.com

Lost My Doggie: https://www.lostmydoggie.com/

Houston: https://www.facebook.com/HoustonLostandFoundPets/

Lost and Found Pets Houston: https://www.facebook.com/groups/728584523886065/

Lost Dogs of Texas: https://www.facebook.com/findtexasdogs/

Montrose Midtown: https://www.facebook.com/HoustonMontroseLostAndFoundPets/

Heights: https://www.facebook.com/HeightsLostandFoundPets/

Cyfair/Tomball; https://www.facebook.com/CyFairTomballLostPets/

Woodlands. Spring, Tomball: https://www.facebook.com/groups/LFPWST/

Katy: https://www.facebook.com/KatyTexasLostAndFoundPets/

Humble, Kingwood, Atascocita: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HKATexasPets/

Lost and Found Pets Alvin, Manvel, and Pearland https://www.facebook.com/LostandFoundPetsPMA/?ref=br_rs

Lost My Doggie: https://www.lostmydoggie.com

Visit your local animal services, animal control agency, or animal shelter.

Here's a list of Greater Houston Area Shelters and rescue organizations with facilities.

Citizens for Animal Protection: https://www.cap4pets.org/

Special Pals: https://specialpals.org/

Pets Alive: https://www.houstonpetsalive.org/

Friends for Life: https://friends4life.org/

Houston SPCA: https://houstonspca.org/

Harris County (: Unincorporated Harris County)https://www.countypets.com/

Fortbend County Animal Services: https://www.fbchhs.org/animal-services

Sugarland Animal Services: https://www.sugarlandtx.gov/220/Animal-Services

Montgomery County Animal Services: https://www.mcaspets.org/

Missouri City Animal Services: https://www.missouricitytx.gov/92/Animal-Services

City Of Pearland Animal Services: https://www.pearlandtx.gov/departments/police/divisions/animal-services-2422

Rosenberg Animal Services; https://trello.com/b/dlm7mPCc/bergshelterpets

West University Animal Control: https://westutx.gov/286/Animal-Control

League City Animal Care: https://www.leaguecitytx.gov/3899/League-City-Animal-Care

Webster Animal Control: https://www.cityofwebster.com/906/Animal-Photos

La Port Animal Adoption Center: http://laportetx.gov/371/Animal-Adoption-Center-and-Shelter

Galveston Humane Society: https://www.galvestonhumane.org/

Humble Animal Control: https://www.cityofhumbletx.gov/animal-services/

Conroe Animal Shelter: https://www.facebook.com/Conroe-Animal-Shelter-110530737784284/

Woodlands Animal Rescue: https://www.woodlandsanimalrescue.com/

Houston Humane Society: https://www.houstonhumane.org/

Barc Animal Shelter (Houston City Limits) & Adoptions: http://www.houstontx.gov/barc/