Lost & Found Pets
We have many resources available to help you find your missing pet or reunite a lost pet with their family on your own.
Losing an animal can be one of the most stressful moments in a pet owner's life. San Diego Humane Society is here to help!
Please review all the following resources that can improve your chances of finding your pet. Lost pets can be found weeks to months after they go missing, so it’s important to not give up on your search.
If your pet is missing, take the following seven steps right now:
1. Check Your Neighborhood
Check your neighborhood. Eighty percent of lost pets are found within a mile of home. Start with a thorough search of your home and property — it’s not uncommon for pets to be found hidden inside their own homes! Walk your local area and speak with neighbors, letting them know your pet is missing and providing their description. Even if neighbors have not seen your pet, they will now be on the lookout and know to contact you if you pet is spotted.
Create a Lost Pet flyer. Use this template to create a flyer and post it around your neighborhood and at local coffee shops, dog parks, pet stores, veterinary offices and other businesses. Include as many details as possible, as well as a recent, clear photo of your pet.
If you lost a cat, find additional tips to help you in your search in English or en español.
2. Contact Your Microchip Company
Contact your microchip company: If your pet has a microchip, call the company to declare the animal lost and ensure your contact information is up to date. If you have the microchip number but are unsure who to call, visit petmicrochiplookup.org to look up the manufacturer.
Click here to learn more about how a microchip can help your pet get back home.
3. Search Found Animals at our Shelter
Animals requiring a legal stray hold of 72 hours will be posted on our found pets page. We encourage community members to check the site regularly for missing pets since we update the page throughout the day. If your pet is in our care, learn how to reclaim your pet.
Looking for a missing cat? When cats with no signs of ownership are brought to our shelters, we spay/neuter, vaccinate and quickly return them to their outdoor homes. If you’ve noticed that a community cat is missing from your neighborhood, keep an eye out as they may be returned in a day or two. If they return with a tipped ear, it’s a signal they’ve been spayed/neutered and vaccinated! Learn more about our Community Cat Program here.
4. Text "LOST" to 858-SAN-LOST
Use our Lost2Found texting service to receive automated texts from San Diego Humane Society with step-by-step instructions and useful tips to you find your pet.
Text “LOST” to 858-SAN-LOST (858-726-5678) to get started!
It can take weeks for lost pets to arrive at local shelters. This tool guides owners over two months by providing timely resources and reminders to support their search.
Lost2Found is free to use and owners can opt out of receiving the messages at any time.
5. Post Your Lost Pet Online
If you lost your pet, click below and complete the necessary information to add them to PawBoost's Lost & Found Pets database. Your pet's information will be viewable by members of the community who may have found your animal as well as shelter staff. We recommend using your phone number and a reliable email address when setting up your profile through PawBoost so you can be easily reached if your pet is found.
Post Your Lost Pet on PawBoost
Post Your Pet on Petco Love Lost
You can post to additional missing pet online databases, including Pet FBI, Fido Finder and Lost Dogs of America.
Please note: San Diego Humane Society does not retain records of lost pets submitted by phone or email. We encourage pet owners to use the tools listed here and other community resources.
6. Use Online and Local Resources
Post about your lost pet on social media, and search neighborhood apps and websites. When creating a lost pet post, include as many details as possible about when and where your pet was lost and recent, clear photos. Monitor your posts for responses and don’t hesitate to post more than once — you can post again a few days later so your post does not get lost in the new feed posts.
- Nextdoor. Tips for posting lost pets on Nextdoor can be found here.
- Neighbors by Ring App. Learn more about joining and posting on the app here.
- Facebook Groups. Click here to review our list of active groups.
- Craigslist’s lost & found section.
A Way Home For Dogs offers FREE help to get your pet, including cats, back home. Contact Babs Fry at 619-249-2221 for important steps to take and common mistakes to avoid.
Search online for additional species-specific resources like Lost Cat Finder which has a full toolkit available for purchase.
7. Beware of Scams!
We have received reports of scams targeting pet families searching for their lost pets. Scammers are calling pet owners from blocked numbers, posing as San Diego Humane Society, and falsely claiming that lost pets have been found and require emergency surgery. In some cases, they are even able to replicate our main phone line so that it shows on caller ID. Scammers request payment for their lost pet’s medical care through Zelle or similar apps. If you receive a call like this, please do not make any payments! San Diego Humane Society will never request urgent payment in this manner or threaten not to withhold necessary medical care for a pet in our shelter.
It’s heartbreaking to see families targeted at such a vulnerable time. We urge you to stay vigilant and help spread the word to protect yourself and others. While we do regularly conduct legitimate telemarketing calls to raise funds for our programs and services, we never request payments from pet owners in this way. If you receive a suspicious call, please hang up and dial our main line at 619-299-7012 to confirm its legitimacy.
If you've found a stray pet, we're here to help!
Stray pets found within San Diego Humane Society's jurisdiction can be admitted at our El Cajon, Escondido, Oceanside and San Diego campus locations during our business hours. Since many stray pets are found close to home, please review the tips below that can help you reunite an animal with its family — and skip a trip to the shelter!
After Hours
If you found a stray pet after hours and you can keep the animal safely in your care overnight, please do so. If you found a dog, we offer information to help you safely introduce them to other resident dogs. However, if you have children, cats or small pets at home, we recommend keeping them separated from the stray dog.
If you are unable to safely care for the animal overnight, or they need medical attention, please call 619-299-7012 and press 1 for assistance.
Tips to Reunite Lost Pets With Their Families
Many stray pets are found close to home. These tips can help you find a lost pet’s family without needing to take them to the shelter! This can reduce stress for the animal and boost the chances that they can be safely reunited with the people who love them.
1. Check for ID
- ID Tags: If the animal is wearing a collar with identifying information, try calling and texting the phone number listed on the tag.
- Microchip: If the pet is not wearing an ID tag, you can take them to your local veterinary office to have them scanned for a microchip.
2. Check your neighborhood
Eighty percent of lost pets are found within one mile of their home. Ask your neighbors or people in the area if they recognize the animal or know the owner.
Use this template to create a flyer and post it at local coffee shops, dog parks, pet stores, veterinary offices and other businesses.
3. Search online missing pet databases
Start by searching to see if the pet you found has been reported as missing on PawBoost. If you find a matching post, you can contact the pet’s owner directly. If you don’t see a profile for the missing pet, create a free found pet post so their owner can contact you!
You can search and post to additional missing pet online databases, including Petco Love Lost, Pet FBI, Fido Finder and Lost Dogs of America.
4. Post on social media and community groups
Post a photo, description and location the pet was found, along with a way to contact you on these platforms:
- Facebook groups: For a list of groups specifically focused on finding lost pets in your area, please click here.
- Nextdoor. Tips for posting lost pets on Nextdoor can be found here.
- Neighbors by Ring. Learn more about joining and positing on the Neighbors app here.
- Craigslist's Lost & Found section.
5. Contact us!
If you’re not able to find the pet’s owner on your own, and the animal was found in San Diego Humane Society’s jurisdiction, contact us.
Animals that qualify for our Straycare Program may be able to serve their legally required stray hold in your home.
Call 619-299-7012 to provide as much of the following information about the pet as possible: age, weight, breed, color, overall description and location where they were found (including zip code).
When a pet is found in the community, local law requires that the shelter of jurisdiction must be notified within 24 hours.
If you found an outdoor cat or wild animal, please review the following information to determine whether the animal should be brought to a shelter.