Lost and Found Pets

Lost or Found Pets - Here's What You Need to Know

LOST A PET?

If your pet has a microchip, make sure your contact information is up to date. Call your microchip company to report a lost pet.
Post your pet on the following free sites:
Notify your veterinarian that your pet is lost if they were wearing a rabies tag.
Visit your local shelters (municipal and private – see below) daily to check for your lost pet. While their websites can help, in-person visits are more effective, as photos may not accurately reflect your pet’s current appearance. Keep in mind that animals can travel far quickly, especially if picked up and relocated. Be sure to check multiple shelters in your area regularly.
Post the pet on your social media pages (as a public post so it is shareable) and post the pet on the numerous lost pet Facebook pages.

FOUND A PET?

Have the pet scanned for a microchip. Veterinarians, shelters and some pet stores can scan for a chip.
Post the found pet on the following free sites:
Post the found pet on the various Facebook found pet pages.
If you’re unable to keep the pet while searching for the owner, you may need to surrender it to a shelter. Municipal shelters (BARC, Harris County Pets, Ft. Bend Animal Services, or Montgomery County Animal Shelter) serve specific areas based on tax-paying residents (called jurisdiction), while private shelters (Houston Humane Society, SPCA, Citizens For Animal Protection) do not have zoning/jurisdiction restrictions.
Many shelters, both municipal and private, are over capacity and require an appointment to surrender a pet. Walk-ins are generally not accepted. Be sure to call ahead to confirm their intake process and, for municipal shelters, check which one you’re zoned to before going.
To determine what jurisdiction you live in, click here and see the instructions below:

Enter your home address in the top white area in the link above, and press enter
Scroll all the way down to JURIS (on the left)
The city or county to the right of JURIS is the animal control that serves your area. That is the municipal shelter that should intake your found pet.

Intake at Municipal Shelters

BARC – The City of Houston Animal Control (832) 395-9084. This shelter serves residents who live in Houston city limits.

https://www.houstontx.gov /barc/ turning_in_a_pet.html

Harris County Pets – Harris County Animal Control (281) 999-3191. This shelter serves residents who live in UNINCORPORATED Harris County (not in Houston city limits).

https://www.countypets.com/Pet-Resources/Surrender-an-Animal

Private Shelters

Houston SPCA
(713) 869-7722
https://houstonspca.org/resources-programs/rehoming-center/

Houston Humane Society
(713) 433-6421
https://www.houstonhumane.org/about-us/wait-list-submission

Citizens For Animal Protection (CAP)
https://www.cap4pets.org/
(281) 497-0591

These private shelters may or may not be able to intake a pet. Space, medical condition or behavior may prohibit these shelters from intaking a pet.

Rescue Groups

Most rescue groups are foster-based and can only take in new animals if they have a committed foster home. Fostering is usually free, with the rescue group typically providing supplies and medical care for the pet.

If you’re willing to foster, you’ll have a better chance of securing help from a rescue group. Keep in mind, these groups are often run by volunteers who may have other full-time jobs, so responses may not be immediate.

Below is a list of rescue groups you can contact:

Houston Pets Alive! is non-profit animal welfare organization dedicated to saving at-risk animals from local shelters. We do not accept animals directly from the public.