Lost & Found Pets
Whether your own pet is missing or you have found a stray dog or cat, taking the below steps can help reunite pets with their owners as quickly as possible.
I’ve Lost My Pet
Report your lost pet to your local animal control office. Local animal control shelters are typically the first place someone will go when they have found a stray pet. Visit the shelter in person and provide a photograph of your pet.
If your pet is microchipped, contact the microchip company to report that your pet is lost and verify that your contact information is accurate.
Create a flyer to circulate in the area where your pet was last seen. (use this template if you’d like, you can find other templates on Canva)
Post to your neighborhood’s website and social media. (use this template if you’d like to make a graphic)
Craigslist
Petco Love Lost - Formerly FindingRover
Neighbors - Ring Camera App (you do not need to have a Ring camera to search the app)
Lost & Found Dogs in Richmond Facebook Page
Lost & Found Pets in Chesterfield Facebook Page
Contact private animal welfare agencies. Most private shelters and rescues, including Richmond Animal League, do not house strays. However, we do keep a record of lost and found reports. Email us at info@ral.org to share a photo or flyer of your pet.
Walk the Neighborhood
Walk the neighborhood, talk to everybody you run across, and leave your phone number.
Check if your pet has been found injured
Call the city, county, and state road crews, DOT, Animal Control daily to see if they have found your pet.
Also check with your local emergency veterinarians to see if your pet has been brought to them.
Don't Give Up Hope!
Go to the animal shelters frequently. Keep checking back with places you have checked before.
We know it is scary; we’ve been there too. Read about RAL communications staff member’s real life experience with a lost pet here.
I’ve Found a Pet
If the pet is wearing identification, please reach out to the owner using the contact information on the tag.
Call your local animal control office to report that you have found an animal. Give a detailed description and submit a photo if possible. Municipal animal control offices are usually the first place an owner will look when his or her pet is missing.
Virginia requires a statutory holding period for stray animals to give owners the opportunity to reclaim their pets. Should you prefer to observe this stray period, which varies by locality, in your home rather than at the shelter, first notify the municipal animal control for the locality where the animal was found and follow the agency’s instructions.
Report the pet you’ve found to private animal welfare agencies. Most private shelters, including Richmond Animal League, do not house strays but we do keep records of lost and found reports. Email us at info@ral.org to share a photo of the pet.
Check your neighborhood’s website and social media for lost pet reports and post your own found report. Withholding an identifying characteristic from the description can help you verify that the person claiming the pet is the rightful owner.
Craigslist
Petco Love Lost - Formerly FindingRover
Neighbors - Ring Camera App (you do not need to have a Ring camera to search the app)
Lost & Found Dogs in Richmond Facebook Page
Lost & Found Pets in Chesterfield Facebook Page
Make flyers to post in the area where the pet was found. Check with neighbors to see if they recognize the pet.
Take the pet to a veterinarian or animal control office to be scanned for a microchip.
If the pet appears to be injured and needs emergency veterinary attention, take them to a veterinary emergency hospital. Identify the pet as a stray and notify the staff of where you found the pet (city or county).
If you found a kitten, find more advice and additional resources here.
Check Out Petco Love Lost
Finding Rover is now Petco Love Lost!
Petco Love Lost uses facial recognition technology to help reunite lost dogs and cats with their families, allowing anyone with computer access to be a superhero.
If you FIND a stray dog or cat, all you need to do is click ‘I Found a Pet’, snap a picture on your phone, and upload to lost.petcolove.org. From there, the magic of Petco Love Lost will match that photo with photos of pets that have been reported missing.
If you have LOST a dog or cat, click ‘I Lost a Pet’, upload your pet’s picture, and Petco Love Lost will search found reports.
Keep Your Pet Safe
We recommend all pet owners take the following precautions so that in the event your pet goes missing, your reunion can be as swift as possible!
Identify your pets with engraved tags on their collars, even if they never go outdoors. ID tags and engraving services are available in many pet stores.
Microchip your pet. Any changes to your contact information must be provided to the microchip company in order for a microchip to be effective.
Add your pet to your neighborhood pet directory on Nextdoor.
Register with Petco Love Lost, which uses pet facial recognition.
"I found a stray animal, can you take it?"
Unfortunately the answer is maybe. We are constantly at our limit of shelter space and foster homes, so we have to turn some animals away. If you have found a stray animal or need to find a new home for your pet, please try these steps before contacting us.
Try to find the animal's owner
Many lost animals are not far from home. Check out your neighborhood and neighbors for lost animals before removing it from the area, and follow our tips for more
If the animal is injured take it to the nearest animal hospital or veterinary clinic. Many will take in sick or injured animals for later placement with rescue groups like RAL. We do not have in-house emergency care facilities to properly treat injured animals.
Consider fostering the animal
If you have a big heart and room in your home, consider keeping the animal temporarily while we help you find a new home for it.
Foster homes really extend the number of animals we are able to help each year.
If you qualify for our foster program, we may be able to help with food and medical care. Otherwise, we have food available for those who need it via our Pet Pantry. We can also list your animal on our site, and on Petfinder.
See if we have space available
If all else fails, you can contact us to see if we have room at our shelter.
All animal intakes must be approved by our shelter intake team.
Please have as much information available as you can, including the location, condition, approximate age, temperament and possible breed of the animal. We will do our best to help you.
If we can't help
If we can't take the animal in, we'll direct you to more possible resources.
