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Lost / Found Pet
What To Do If You Have Lost or Found A Pet
- Call our Lost and Found Department at 602-372-4598.
- Go to our Stray Animal map tool. The map allows our residents to actively post a location where a dog/cat was seen loose or where the animal was picked up from. Note: Once added, animals will stay on this map for a maximum of five days.
- Check out the PetHarbor.com website. All animals we find are listed here. Keep in mind that any animals we bring in that do not have any identification (e.g. licenses or microchips), we can only keep for 72 hours as a "Stray - Hold". After that 72 hours, the animal may become available to the public.
- Keep looking. Many pets are found by residents that may not bring the animal to a shelter for several days.
- Post flyers in the neighborhood where the pet was lost. Ask schools in your area if you can post a flyer. Download our free Sample Flyer (PDF).
- Use social media, Craigslist and other free networking sources to get the word out about your pet. Consider Straydar, Lost Dogs Arizona and other Facebook groups.
- We are experiencing extremely long wait times for in-person stray intakes. Please be aware it may take up to 2 hours as we are unable to process new animals into the shelter until there is an available kennel.
- If the dog or cat is wearing Maricopa County tag, call 602-506-PETS and follow the prompts to retrieve the owner’s contact information.
- Go to our Stray Animal map tool. The map allows our residents to actively post a location where a dog/cat was seen loose or where the animal was picked up from. Note: Once added, animals will stay on this map for a maximum of five days.
- Take the animal to a local veterinarian or shelter and ask for the animal to be scanned for a microchip.
- If you can safely contain the dog, call us (602 506-PETS) and we will pick it up from your location. You can also use our online form to report a stray. Keep in mind that we cannot pick up cats.
Finding Rover is a revolutionary facial recognition app that scans the unique features of your dog’s face to keep on file in case your dog ever gets lost. The app is free to register on your iPhone, Android devices, and on the Web. When your dog is lost, you can report your lost dog in the app and Finding Rover can alert a network of partners, such as dog organizations, nearby members, and social media outlets. And if you see a lost dog, you can report it by snapping a photo of the dog and uploading it into the app. The app can run a facial recognition search in its database and if there’s a match, the owner’s contact information pops up.
For more information and to download the app, visit: Finding Rover.
What To Do If Your Lost Pet Is At MCACC
If your lost pet has been turned into MCACC, please follow these steps to help ensure a happy reunion!
- Bring all your information that proves ownership of the lost pet (e.g. vaccination and licensing records, pet photos, Animal ID number) to the shelter location where you believe your pet is located. Call MCACC to confirm if you have questions.
- Once arriving at the shelter, talk to a member of our staff. We can help guide you through the process of making a positive ID, including taking you to the kennel to see the animal.
- If the pet is yours and you are able to make a positive ID, staff will begin the return-to-owner process so you can take your pet home! Your pet will leave the shelter with up-to-date vaccinations and current license, if applicable.
- If your pet is not currently licensed, you will likely be charged fees to claim your lost pet. Fees will be determined based on how long the animal has been at the shelter, sterilization status, and any penalties assessed.
- If your pet needs to be spayed or neutered, they may have to stay overnight in the shelter. The surgery and additional night's stay in the shelter are free as a thank you for helping us reduce the homeless pet crisis in Maricopa County. Your pet would be available for you to take home the day after surgery.
Get a free night's stay with a current dog license!
Lost & Found Program Video
Tools to Find Your Lost Pet
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Report a Lost or Found Pet (Map)
Use the online interactive map to help owners locate a lost pet.
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Finding Rover
Keep your dog safe with Finding Rover, the revolutionary facial recognition app that scans the unique features of your dog’s face and keeps it on file in case your dog ever gets lost. The app is free to register on your iPhone, Android devices, and on the Web. When your dog is lost, you can report your lost dog in the app and Finding Rover can alert a network of partners, such as dog organizations, nearby members, and social media outlets. And if you see a lost dog, you can report it by snapping a photo of the dog and uploading it into the app. The app is able to do a facial recognition search in its database. If there’s a match, the owner’s contact info pops up.