Lost & Found Pets

• Act fast! Don’t waste days hoping your pet will come home.
• Remember that pets with ID tags and microchips are much more likely to find their way back home.
  • Check to make sure your dog's microchip information is up to date so the person that finds your pet can reach you quickly if they're brought to a shelter or veterinarian's office and scanned.
• Search your neighborhood or the area where your pet was lost and let people know you have a missing pet.
  • Call your pet’s name and check any places where they could have become trapped, such as in basements or garages or under vehicles. A lost pet often will hide during the day, so be sure to go out again at night with a flashlight and call for them. Sometimes a can of food can lure a hungry and scared pet to you.
• Check with your local shelters every day. Call and visit the shelters to search for your pet. Animals are difficult to describe over the phone, and only you really know what your pet looks like.
• Check with local neighborhood groups and post on social media through lost pet pages or groups, and ask others to share and spread the word.
• Put large, brightly colored posters in well-trafficked areas near your home (post offices, libraries, pet supply stores, veterinary offices and grocery stores) using simple, easy-to-read phrasing like "Lost dog. Please help." Include your phone number and a picture of your missing best friend.
• Inform your veterinarian and groomer that your pet is lost in case they receive a call.
• Place ads in local newspapers or newsletters and offer a reward in case someone found your untagged pet.
• Watch the found ads. Respond to any that might be close to your pet’s description. A week of wandering the streets can make white pets look drab gray, and the ad’s description might not exactly fit.
• Call local radio stations. Some radio stations will broadcast lost pet information for free. Give them very detailed information on where your pet was lost, their description and how to contact you.
• Visit the websites of national locator services such as petfinder.com, Pawboost, and 24PetConnect. 24 Pet connect will help you create a free lost pet flier.

Animal Reclaim

The fees associated with reclaiming your pet can vary significantly and depend on whether or not your pet has been previously impounded, spayed/neutered, licensed or vaccinated and the number of days your animal has spent in our shelter. Other fees may apply when reclaiming your animal.

Please be sure to:

• Have proof of animal ownership (vaccination or photo)
• Have proof of vaccination (if applicable)
• Have a valid driver's license or photo ID with your date of birth, and proof of your current address. Must be over 18 years of age.

Animal Services accepts payment by cash, check, VISA, MasterCard, and American Express.

About Animal Reclaiming

Find shelter locations and hours.

• Residents must bring proof of ownership to reclaim.
• A valid Photo ID is required with proof of address if other than what is on the ID.
• If your dog is spayed/neutered and has never been impounded fees will be waived.
• Otherwise fees typically apply and must be paid at the time of reclaim.
• Credit cards will not be accepted after regular shelter business hours.
• All animals must be sterilized before release; if your pet is not already sterilized, it will stay at the shelter and have surgery on the next available date.
• Some situations require special approval and must occur during regular shelter business hours.
• Only animals that already have a valid intact permit or animals from counties other than Bernalillo, Valencia, Torrance, Santa Fe, Sandoval, or Cibola, will be released unsterilized.

Reunite Microchip Scanner Locations