PHOENIX — With so many people celebrating the new year with fireworks, this is one of the busiest times of the year for lost and found pets.
What should you do if you lose your pet or find one? Maricopa County offers the following tips:
LOST PET
- Make sure your pet's tags are updated, and they are also microchipped. "Not only have the updated tags on the collars, but also that microchip is the number one way for us to be able to reunite our pets if they do end up going missing," Dickerson said.
- "Make sure you have updated pictures; you have their paperwork or anything that's really going to be able to help you identify them and help our staff know that they are going to the correct person," according to Dickerson.
- Report a Lost Pet
- Go to Maricopa County's Stray Animal map tool. The map allows residents to actively post a location where a dog/cat was seen loose or where the animal was picked up from. Note: Once added, animals will stay on this map for a maximum of five days.
- Register your lost pet with Petco Love Lost and view potential matches.
- Check out the 24PetConnect.com website. All animals MCACC finds are listed here. Any animals brought in that do not have any identification (e.g. licenses or microchips), can only be kept for 72 hours as a "Stray - Hold". After that 72 hours, the animal may become available to the public for adoption.
- Keep looking. Many pets are found by residents that may not bring the animal to a shelter for several days.
- Post flyers in the neighborhood where the pet was lost. Ask schools or businesses in your area if you can post a flyer. Download a free Sample Flyer (PDF).
- Use social media, Nextdoor, Craigslist, and other free networking sources to get the word out about your pet. Consider Straydar, Lost Dogs Arizona and other Facebook groups.
- Call the Lost and Found Department at 602-372-4598. Please note: This phone number is not staffed 7 days a week. Please use the lost pet form above first.
FOUND PET
- If you have found and can safely contain a dog, call the appropriate agency to report it. You can also use Maricopa County's online form to report a stray.
- Keep in mind that MCACC cannot pick up cats.
- The Arizona Humane Society accepts all stray animals who are sick, injured, or abused. Contact them directly at 602-997-7585 ext. 3800 or click here for more information.
- If the dog or cat is wearing a Maricopa County tag, call 602-506-PETS and follow the prompts to retrieve the owner’s contact information.
- Bring the pet to a veterinary office, shelter, or pet supply store and ask them to scan for a microchip.
- Visit the Stray Animal map tool to look for lost reports that may be a match.
- Walk them around the area where they were found.
- Look for lost pet flyers in the area.
- Report a Found Pet
- Create a found pet report using our online form to report a stray
- Hang up found pet flyers in the area.
- Post the pet on social media, including the Nextdoor app.
- Use the facial recognition technology at Petco Love Lost to view potential matches.
- MCACC shelter intakes are available by appointment only. A separate appointment is required for each individual animal. Click here to book a stray dog intake appointment for the West Shelter @ 2500 S. 27th Ave, Phoenix, AZ.
