What to do if your pet is lost: find a lost dog or cat, step by step

Your dog slipped the lead at the park. Your indoor cat shot out of an open door. Or you found a frightened dog with no collar. This guide puts every step in order, for owners and for finders. Each step links to our detailed guide on that step.

This page gives general information. It is not legal advice. Rules on lost and found animals differ by city and state.

You have a good chance

Most lost pets go home. In a 2012 US survey by Weiss, Slater and Lord, about 14% of dogs and 15% of cats were lost in a five-year period. Of those, 93% of dogs and 75% of cats were recovered.

Dogs and cats come home in different ways. The same survey found that dogs were most often found by searching the neighbourhood. Cats most often came home on their own. So the plan for a dog and the plan for a cat are not the same.

The first hour

Act at once. The ASPCA says swift action and neighbourhood networking increase the odds of finding your pet.

1. Search your home. The ASPCA says to look under beds, in closets, in dark and small places, and behind furniture. Shake a treat jar or a food bowl.
2. Ask who saw your pet last. Note the time and the place.
3. Search close to home. Walk, do not drive. Call your pet’s name calmly.
4. Phone for help. Call animal control, local shelters, vets and rescue groups. The ASPCA says one of them may already have your pet.
5. Check the microchip record. Make sure the registry has your current phone number.

If your dog is lost

Lost dogs are often found nearby, or by a call to an animal agency. In a JAVMA study of 187 lost dogs in Ohio, 71% were recovered, with a median of 2 days. The most common ways back were a call or visit to an animal agency, a dog licence tag, and neighbourhood signs. Owners who called or visited an animal agency had a higher chance of recovery.

Our guides go step by step:

• Lost dog: what to do in the first hours
• How far do lost dogs travel?

If your cat is lost

Lost cats usually hide close to home. In a study of 1,210 missing cats by Huang and colleagues, 75% were found within 500 metres of where they escaped. The authors found evidence that a physical search increased the chance of finding a cat alive. Indoor-only cats travelled much shorter distances than cats with outdoor access.

Search slowly and quietly. Look under decks, porches, sheds and cars. Search again at night with a flashlight.

Our guides go step by step:

• Indoor cat got out? What to do now
• Lost cat: where to look first
• Cat missing for 3 days or more?

Time matters. Huang and colleagues found 34% of cats were recovered alive within 7 days, and few were found alive after 90 days. They advise a thorough search in the first week.

Visit the shelters in person

Call, then go. The ASPCA says to check in with shelters daily, and to visit in person with photos of your pet.

Shelters hold strays for a limited time. Huang and colleagues note that the holding period in US and Australian shelters is usually 3 to 5 business days. Ask each shelter what its period is.

Posters and posts

Put the word out wide. The ASPCA advises one flyer design, used everywhere, with:

• A big headline people can read from far away, such as “LOST DOG” or “MISSING CAT”.
• One clear, recent photo.
• Breed, sex, colour, age, weight and any special marks.
• When and where your pet was last seen.
• Your name and two phone numbers.

The ASPCA suggests vets, pet shops, groomers, dog parks and busy shops. It also says to put flyers at children’s eye level, because children notice animals. Post on local “lost pet” pages online too. Our guide to a lost cat flyer shows what to put on it, line by line.

Check the microchip

A microchip only works if the details are right. The AVMA says the chip holds only a number, and you must keep your contact details current with the registry.

A JAVMA study of 7,704 microchipped animals in 53 shelters shows why. When shelters could not find the owner, the main reason was a wrong or disconnected phone number. Of the animals whose registry was contacted, only 58% were registered in the database.

Do this today, even if your pet is at home. Our guide on how to check if your dog’s microchip is registered shows each step. The same steps work for cats.

If you found a lost pet

Your first job is safety. Humane World for Animals says a frightened animal can behave unpredictably, and may bite or scratch. If you feel unsafe, stay in your car and call animal control.

If you can help safely:

1. Check for a collar and tags.
2. Take the animal to a vet or shelter for a microchip scan.
3. Tell animal control or the shelter that you have it. Humane World says this lets them match it if the owner calls.
4. Keep it apart from your own pets.
5. Post a found notice with a photo. Keep one detail back, so you can check a caller is the real owner.

Humane World for Animals also says a finder does not own a found animal straight away. In almost every state, the legal holding period must pass first, and you must try to find the owner.

Our guides cover each case:

• Found a stray dog? What to do in the first hour
• Found a stray cat? How to tell if it is lost

Before it happens

The best time to plan is now:

• A collar with an ID tag and your phone number. The ASPCA says this applies to indoor-only pets too.
• A microchip, with your current details in the registry.
• Recent, clear photos of your pet, from the side and the front.
• A list of your local shelters and animal control, with phone numbers.

Our free pet emergency card puts your pet’s key details and phone numbers on one page. If your dog fears loud noises, read dog scared of fireworks before New Year.

Every guide in this series, in order

1. Lost dog: what to do in the first hours: the first steps, in order.
2. How far do lost dogs travel?: what two studies found.
3. Indoor cat got out?: where to look first.
4. Lost cat: where to look first: the first week.
5. Cat missing for 3 days or more?: the chances, and what to do now.
6. Lost cat flyer: what to put on it, and where.
7. How to check a dog’s microchip registration: step by step.
8. Found a stray dog?: the first hour.
9. Found a stray cat?: lost pet or community cat.

A plan on paper

If you want every step ready before you need it, the Lost Dog Kit and the Lost Cat Kit are fillable PDFs. The dog kit has a first-hours call list, a LOST DOG poster, and search and sighting logs. The cat kit has a search plan, a LOST CAT poster, a humane trap plan, and call and sighting logs.