It can happen in the blink of an eye. Your cat slips out the door or escapes from her carrier. A car backfires while you’re walking your dog and he slips out of his collar. A natural disaster, such as hurricane (especially during this time of year), flooding, or fire causes you to become separated from your pet. Any number of possible scenarios occur, and suddenly your world is turned upside down.
Losing a pet is a frightening and gut-wrenching experience. But many lost animals are reunited with their families — especially when pet owners act quickly, which can greatly increase the chances of being reunited with a lost pet.
If Your Pet is Lost in New York City
- File a Lost Pet Report by visiting the Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) website, which provides useful instructions and will direct you to the Petco Love Lost website to search its national lost and found pet database that uses facial recognition technology.
- Search ACC’s Found Pet database. This search page will search for animals that have been found and are currently at an ACC Care Center or have been reported as found by a member of the public who has chosen to temporarily keep the animal in their custody.
- Visit all three ACC Care Centers – Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island. (ACC shelters in Brooklyn and the Bronx are temporarily closed.) Bring along a photo of you with your pet and any other proof of ownership you have, such as your pet’s medical records or adoption documents.
ACC Care Centers are open for Lost and Found checks from 8AM – 8PM, but you should call the main number (212) 788-4000 before you visit the shelter to let them know you’re coming and confirm someone will be there to assist you.
ACC is 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, or placed in a foster home.
If you’ve lost or found an exotic or other pet bird, file a lost or found bird report at 911parrotalert.com AND on ACC’s website. And contact Northeast Avian Rescue. You’ll find useful information on the Avian Welfare Coalition website.
Be proactive!
- Inform veterinary offices and other pet-related businesses in your area that your pet is lost. Provide them with a “lost pet” flyer (see below) or simply a photo and description of your pet, along with your contact information. If your pet is microchipped (an invaluable tool for retrieving a lost pet), let the vet’s office know the microchip number.
- Post “lost pet” flyers, featuring a photo of your pet and your phone number, throughout the neighborhood where your pet was lost, at veterinary offices, pet supply stores, and other local businesses. Be sure to get permission before posting flyers on private property. Posters in English and Spanish can be most effective. Offer a reward as an incentive for your pet’s return.
- Post “lost pet” notices on your social media accounts, general neighborhood and lost pet Facebook groups, and other location-based online communities, such as Nextdoor or Craigslist. Be sure to include a photo and description of your pet, and your contact information. Creating a single, shareable online poster image that includes all important information makes it easy for others to help you spread the word. You can also use social media and other local online communities to search for “found pet” notices that may be a match. As always when networking online, be alert for danger and potential scams.
- Post your pet on lost and found pet apps and websites, such as PetAmberAlert, PawBoost, MyLostPetAlert, Pet FBI, Lost Dog, and Lost Cat. There are many free and fee-based pet lost and found apps and websites available, all with different services and pricing, so read the fine print before you begin.
If You Find a Lost Pet in New York City
If you’ve found a dog, cat, or other pet in New York City, we hope you will care for the animal until his or her owner has been located.
To locate the owner:
- Check for ID tags, a dog license, or other forms of identification.
- Take the dog or cat to a vet’s office or shelter and ask them to scan for a microchip. If the pet is microchipped, contact the microchip company, which will locate the pet’s owner.
- Take a photo of the pet you found and upload/drag & drop it on the Petco Love Lost website to search its national lost and found pet database that uses facial recognition technology.
- Visit ACC’s website where you will find useful tips, and which will direct you to the Petco Love Lost website referenced above.
- Post “found pet” flyers, featuring a photo of the pet and your phone number, throughout your neighborhood, at veterinary offices, pet supply stores, and other businesses. Be sure to get permission before posting flyers on private property. Withhold a distinctive piece of information about the pet (unique markings, eye color, etc.) to screen bogus calls claiming to be the pet’s owner.
- Post “found pet” notices on your social media accounts, general neighborhood and lost pet Facebook groups, and other location-based online communities, such as Nextdoor or Craigslist. Be sure to include a photo and description of the animal, and your contact information. By creating a single, shareable online poster image that includes all important information, you can make it easy for others to help you spread the word. As noted above, withhold a distinctive piece of information about the pet (unique markings, eye color, etc.) to screen bogus calls claiming to be the pet’s owner. You can also use social media and other local online communities to search for “lost pet” notices that may be a match. As always when networking online, be alert for danger and potential scams.
- Check lost and found pet apps and websites, such as PetAmberAlert, PawBoost, MyLostPetAlert, Pet FBI, Lost Dog, and Lost Cat to see if the pet you found has been listed as lost. If the pet is not listed as lost, you should list the pet as found. There are many free and fee-based pet lost and found apps and websites available, all with different services and pricing, so read the fine print before you begin.
If you cannot locate the pet’s owner and are prepared to take on the responsibility, please consider giving the pet a loving home with your family.
If you cannot keep the pet, contact a local rescue group or shelter to see if they have room for him or her in their adoption program. These groups will only take in animals that they can accommodate, so you might need to check with many groups before finding one to accept the pet.
If you cannot care for the animal until you can locate his or her owner, you can bring the animal to the nearest Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) shelter.
Increase Your Pet’s Chances of Returning Home
Make sure your dog or cat is wearing a collar with an identification tag that provides your phone number. If someone finds your lost pet, having a phone number to call right away can lead to a quick unification.
Microchip Your Dogs and Cats
Having your pet microchipped is one of the best ways to increase your pet’s chances of getting home if he or she is lost or stolen. Unlike dog tags and collars, which can fall off or be removed, microchipping is a more permanent form of identifying your dog or cat.
License Your Dog
New York City law requires that you license your dog, and update the license each year. When you license your dog, however, you’re doing something more than simply complying with the law. You’re giving your dog a ticket home in the event that she or he becomes lost.
Register Your Dog or Cat with FidoTabby Alert
This is a free nationwide pet alert network connecting pet owners with thousands of local pet finders in their area to bring their lost dog or cat home safe and sound.
We hope you never have to go through the trauma of your pet being lost or stolen. But taking these precautions in advance and being ever mindful of your pet’s whereabouts and safety can help ensure a positive outcome should that situation arise.
The Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals is dedicated to being a consistent and reliable source of information for pet owners seeking services and resources to care for their pets, and for anyone looking to help improve the lives of NYC’s animals. Our goal is to help New Yorkers give their animal companions and all New York City animals their best lives possible. To support our efforts, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today.