Report your missing pet and search for a match on Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database where shelters and neighbors post found pets. Petco Love Lost uses facial recognition technology, so make sure to upload a clear photo of your pet’s face!
Look around the area where your pet was lost. Create LOST PET flyers and hang them as you walk around the neighborhood.
If your pet is microchipped, verify your contact information is up-to-date and inform the microchip company that your pet is lost.
Share your Petco Love Lost flyer on social platforms, including your local lost and found pets Facebook groups.
Ask friends, family, and neighbors to help you search within a mile of where your pet was lost. 80% of lost pets are found within a mile of where they are lost, so your pet probably has not gone far!
Our shelters receive animals every day, and one of them could be your pet. We are required to hold stray animals (animals that do not have an identified owner) for three days. After this three-day holding period, any stray animal can be put up for adoption, transferred to another shelter, sent to rescue, put into a foster home, and, in rare cases, euthanized (only if serious medical issues exist or there are aggression issues).
Report the found pet and search Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database where pets are reported as lost to our shelters. Petco Love Lost uses facial recognition technology, so make sure to upload a clear photo of the pet’s face!
Check for tags on the pet’s collar and look for contact information. If there are no tags, take them to a vet or animal shelter to scan for a microchip.Â
Walk or drive around the area where you found the pet. Create FOUND PET flyers and hang them in the neighborhood.
Share your Petco Love Lost flyer on social platforms, including your local lost and found pets Facebook groups.
If you come across a healthy cat in your neighborhood, don’t be too quick to assume it’s a stray or has been abandoned. The cat might belong to one of your neighbors and likes to explore the outdoors. Please note that ACC doesn’t accept healthy stray cats. We kindly recommend that you return the cat to where you found it so it can easily find its way back home.
If you spot a cat that is visibly sick or injured, please text ‪(203) 529-5372 or email CommunityCats@nycacc.org so we can determine if the cat needs assistance and, if so, how to provide it. Do not try to handle or physically restrain an aggressive or fearful cat.
If you’re still unsure if the cat is lost or abandoned, check for a tipped ear, collar, or microchip (at a shelter or vet clinic). If they have a tipped ear, you’ve found a community cat! It means they live outdoors, have a caretaker, and have been sterilized and vaccinated. If the cat has a collar or tags, consider contacting the owner to find the cat’s home.
You can always report the cat as found on Petco Love Lost to ensure word gets out that this cat is roaming your neighborhood. If you contact an owner or a community cat caretaker, you can remove the listing from Petco Love Lost later.
Our shelters receive reports of lost pets every day, and one of them could be the pet you found. If you have held the pet and have not found the owner, or if you cannot hold the pet, you can bring them to one of our shelters during business hours. Please give us a call if you are coming in with a found pet! If you find a pet outside of business hours or they are sick, injured, or posing a threat to public safety, please call 9-1-1, and a police dispatcher will assist you.
ACC reminds all pet owners to ensure their dog is licensed and always kept on a leash, that their cat is kept indoors, that their pets are wearing a tag, and that they have a registered microchip.
Microchips with up-to-date info are essential! If your lost pet is brought to any shelter or veterinary office, they will scan for a microchip and contact you! Here at ACC, we reunite hundreds of animals yearly because of microchips! If your pet is not microchipped, please have one implanted immediately! If your pet is microchipped, call the company to ensure the info is up-to-date. A microchip MUST be updated manually every time you move or change your contact info. If you don't know the microchip company, visit the Microchip Registry Lookup.
Make sure to have a recent, full-body photo in case your pet goes missing. Seeing your pet in their entirety is very helpful for shelters and people assisting in the search. Other details to have ready are approximate weight, age, and any distinctive features/markings on your pet.
Make sure your dog has a collar and tags with up-to-date contact info. Also, never walk your dog off-leash, and make sure their collar and leash are not deteriorating.
Make sure your dog is licensed in NYC! Click here to get your dog license today!
Our pets are curious creatures (especially cats!) and will leave through any exit available. Make sure windows are closed and/or have screens, especially when adding/removing an air conditioning unit as the seasons change.
