Found a Stray

Animal Care and Enforcement Opens in new windowStray Pet (PDF) - if you found a stray dog or cat without an I.D. tag, here are some tips for reuniting the animal with its owner:

  • Take the animal to a veterinary clinic or animal shelter to have it scanned for a microchip. If the pet has a microchip implanted, the owners can often be contacted immediately and reunited with their pet that same day!
  • If the pet is not microchipped, upload the pet's information to our Lost and Found database and report a found pet. When completing found reports, include a photo of the pet, unique characteristics about the pet, detailed information about when, where and how you found the pet.
  • Personalize this Found Pet Flyer Template (DOCX) with the found pet's information and photo, print and post copies in the area where you found the pet, in animal shelters, and in other high-traffic community locations.
  • "Craigslist", "GastonFreePets", "One Man's Junk", and The Gaston Gazette accept free classified ads for "lost" and "found" pets. It is useful to check these websites and paper 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.

If you are unable to find the pet's owner and cannot temporarily care for him/her, Animal Care and Enforcement accepts admissions of stray pets. Visit our Surrendering page for details.