I Found An Animal

I Found A Pet - Now What?

What to Do Immediately After You Find a Pet

Walk the neighborhood: Most lost pets are found within a 10-block radius of where they were lost. Take a walk around the immediate area and speak to any neighbors, postal service workers, landscapers, or anyone who may know the pet’s owner. Look for lost pet flyers and create found pet flyers to post in the area.

Check the animal for identification: Some animals may have identification present such as an ID tag or microchip.

  1. If the animal is wearing a personalized ID tag, contact the owner immediately.
  2. If the animal is wearing a county or city registration tag, reach out to the appropriate department and give them the tag number. They will provide you with owner information or contact the owner on your behalf.
  3. Many animals that are not wearing tags are implanted with microchips, a permanent form of identification. Many local stray holding facilities, police departments, and veterinary clinics have scanners to read chips. The owner information can be traced from the microchip number.

Next Steps

Upload and search the found pet on lost websites:

Use the sharing features on Petco Love Lost to distribute your found pet listing on other social media outlets like Facebook, Craigslist, and Nextdoor. Many counties and cities have “Lost and Found Pets” or “What’s Happening” Facebook pages. These pages are a great resource for getting the pet seen.

Check with your local animal services, animal control, animal shelters, and veterinary clinics: Contact all the animal controls and animal shelters within 20 miles of where the pet was found. Many organizations allow you to place a found report with them, where you can leave a photo of the pet and your contact information.

Local Animal Control Agencies

Aurora Animal Control
600 S. River Street, Aurora, IL 60506
630-256-3630
adopt@aurora.il.us

Cook County Animal Control
10220 S 76th Ave #251, Bridgeview, IL 60455
708-974-6140

DuPage County Animal Services
120 N. County Farm Road, Wheaton, IL 60187
630-407-2800
animalservices@dupageco.org

Kane County Animal Control
4060 Keslinger Road, Geneva, IL 60134
630-232-3555
animalcontrol@co.kane.il.us

Kendall County Animal Control
802 John Street, Yorkville, IL 60560
630-553-9256
animals@co.kendall.il.us

Will County Animal Control
1200 S. Cedar Road, #1D, New Lenox, IL 60451
815-462-5633
acontrol@willcountyillinois.com

Don’t Give Up!

Many animals are returned to their owners within a few days of being lost. However, it may take several weeks or months to find a lost pet! This is especially true for cats and animals not wearing identification.

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