I Found a Pet - Now What?
Report a Found Animal
What to do when you find an Animal
- Complete the Found Animal Report.
- If the animal is wearing id. tags, contact the owner immediately.
- If the animal is wearing a rabies tag, call the appropriate county's Rabies Control department and give them the tag number. They will provide you with the owner information.
- Many animals that are not wearing tags are implanted with microchips, a permanent form of identification. All local stray holding facilities and police departments have scanners to read the chips. The owner information can be traced from the microchip number.
- Most lost animals are found within a ten-block radius of where they were lost. Post FOUND PET flyers in this area. Look for LOST PET flyers in the area.
- Post a FOUND PET photo, description, and location where you found the animal on a lost/found sites such as Lost Dogs of Illinois, Lost Cats of Illinois, Fido Finder, etc.
- Contact your local police department and animal control to notify them of the found pet. Be sure to provide as much detail as possible about the animal's description, special markings, any collar/tags/accessories, and location where the animal was found. Follow up by dropping off or emailing a FOUND PET flyer to each one.
- Run a FOUND PET ad in the local paper and post FOUND PET flyers around your neighborhood. Many local papers run found pet ads for free. Look for LOST PET ads in the local paper.
