Lost & Found Pets

Lost & Found Pets

Each year, close to 15% of cats and dogs will go missing, according to a study done by the ASPCA®. And while 85% of those pets end up returned to their owner, that still leaves many pets homeless in shelters all over the country. Here, you may find resources to help find your missing pet or reunite a found pet with its loving home.

Additional resources to assist you if you have lost or found a pet are available below.

Have you lost your cat or dog?

We know how terrible it is to lose a pet. Take a deep breath, and read through the steps below for immediate actions you can take to find your pet.

Update your pet's microchip registration

If your pet is microchipped contact the microchip company to report him lost, and verify your contact information is up-to-date on the microchip registration. If you are unsure with which company your pet is microchipped contact the veterinary clinic or shelter that implanted the microchip. Even if your pet is already microchipped please do not rely on the microchip alone to reunite you, but complete as many other measures on this list as possible.

Upload Your Pet's Information to Petco Love Lost

Petco Love Lost is a new, searchable national database that uses patented facial recognition technology to make finding lost pets quicker and easier.  Register your pet at Petco Love Lost so that you can search Petco’s National Lost & Found Database.

Create a lost pet report on Pawboost

Submit a found pet report on Pawboost. This post will alert people in the area that have signed up for lost pet alerts by email, and will also post to the Pawboost-powered Facebook page for the Albuquerque area. Make sure your post includes a photo. (Note: Pawboost’s free services include the Facebook post, email to local pet lovers, and generation of a free lost pet flyer. Pawboost has additional “Premium” services that do carry a fee.)

Check with local shelters

Do not assume if your pet was lost in a specific area that he/she will be taken to the closest animal shelter. Check the websites of the following Albuquerque-area animal shelters daily or, if possible, go in person to look at the pets that have been turned in. Submit a lost report to all of the following shelters, and make sure it includes a photo.

  • City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department
    • Eastside Animal Shelter – 8920 Lomas Blvd NE, 87112  | 505.768.2000
    •  Westside Animal Shelter – 11800 Sunset Gardens SW, 87121 | 505.768.1975
  • Rio Rancho Animal Control  |  3441 Northern Blvd, 87124  | (505) 891-5075

 

Post a free classified ad

Post a free classified ad with  Craigslist and Nextdoor

When advertising to the public, provide a thorough description of your pet to allow for a positive identification in the event that someone finds him or her, but leave out one or two unique characteristics to avoid being the target of scams. Include a photo when possible. Beware of anyone who claims to have found your pet and demands a monetary incentive for his or her return.

Check with neighbors

If you have lost an indoor-only or shy cat check every hiding spot possible in the area your cat was lost. Place his/her litterbox outside where he may be able to smell it.

Have you found a cat or dog?

If you’ve found a pet without an I.D. tag, here are some tips for reuniting the pet with their owner.

Check for a microchip

Take pets to a veterinary clinic or animal shelter to have them scanned for a microchip. If a pet has a microchip implanted, the owners can often be contacted immediately and reunited with their pet that same day!

Upload the pet's information on Pawboost

If a pet is not microchipped, upload the pet’s information to Pawboost and report a found pet with the City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department. When completing found reports, include a photo of the pet, unique characteristics about the pet, as well as detailed information about when, where and how you found the pet.

Post flyers in your neighborhood

Personalize this flyer template with the found pet’s information and photo. Print and post copies in the location in which you found the pet, in animal shelters and in other high-traffic community locations.

Post a classified ad

Craigslist and Nextdoor accept classified ads for lost and found pets. It is useful to check these regularly and post your own ad. Make sure that anyone who contacts you about the pet is able to provide proof of ownership, like a photo or veterinary records, before you release the animal to them. Without this requirement, you might be endangering the pet, since dog fighters use free and stray pets as bait for dogs they are training to fight. 

Surrender the pet to Animal Humane

If you are unable to find the pet’s owner and cannot temporarily care for him/her, Animal Humane accepts admissions of stray pets on a walk-in basis as kennel space allows. Visit our Re-homing page for details.