Lost & Found
Please review the information below to learn more about what do to if you found a stray animal or are looking for a lost pet. For assistance in person, visit us during business hours.
What to Do if You Lost or Found a Pet
Check our Website Daily
All stray and found pets are listed on our website. The page is updated throughout the day as new animals arrive in our care. Check our website every day to see if your pet has been brought to the shelter.
Continue to check the website every day - even if you submitted a lost pet report.
Register Your Pet with Petco Love Lost
HSSW is a registered partner with Petco Love Lost - a free and easy way to search 200,000+ lost and found pets to help them return home. The Petco Love Lost database includes pets reported lost or found by individuals as well as thousands of shelter partners across the country. By uploading a photo of your lost pet and reporting it in their system, that pet will be visible to owners searching for their pet.
Lost pet reports make a difference, but do not rely on the report alone. If you are looking for a lost pet, check our listing of found pets in our care every day to see if your pet was brought to the shelter.
Don't Give Up
It can sometimes take a few months to locate a missing pet - in rare cases, HSSW has reunited pets with their families years after they were separated. Continue to check the HSSW website as well as other shelters in our region - including shelters in the Portland Metro Area.
Additional Strategies
If your pet is not at HSSW, don't give up! Consider the following resources to help reconnect you with your pet.
Utilize local resources like lost and found Facebook groups, Craigslist, and other social media platforms to help spread the word. Active Facebook groups in our community include: SW Washington Lost & Found Pets and Lost & Found Pets of Vancouver, WA among others.
Verify your contact information on your pet’s microchip and make sure your phone number and pet info is accurate.
Notify your neighbors. Many lost pets stay close to home and may be hiding in a neighbor's yard or shed.
Visit I Paw'd it Forward website for more lost pet resources and to connect with their active community of animal lovers.
Notify veterinary offices in your area. Ask them if they receive lost/stray pets in their clinic.
Bring the pet to HSSW
If you would like our assistance reuniting the pet with its owner, bring it to the shelter during regular business hours.
If you need assistance, please email [email protected]. Once the pet is at the shelter, it will be listed on our Found Pets Page and our team will provide the best care possible while the pet waits to reconnect with its family.
Report the Pet as Found
If you cannot bring the animal to HSSW, it's important to report found pets immediately. Not only is their family worried about them, they could be dependent on medication, special food, or other treatments.
Register the pet with Petco Love Lost - a free and easy way to search 200,000+ lost and found pets to help them return home.
Contact Animal Protection and Control
If you need assistance with found pet or an animal roaming at large, contact the animal control agency for the area.
Additional Strategies
Consider the following options to increase the chances of connecting the pet you found with their family.
Utilize local resources like lost and found Facebook groups, Craigslist, and other social media platforms to help spread the word.
Have the pet scanned for a microchip. You can do this at HSSW or your local vet. If a microchip is found, the owner can be contacted immediately.
Notify your neighbors. They may have information that can help.
In Clark and Cowlitz Counties, animal welfare and control services are provided by municipal agencies. HSSW contracts with agencies to provide sheltering services for animals in need.
Clark County
In Clark County, we provide sheltering services for animals found in the following jurisdictions:
Unincorporated Clark County
City of Vancouver
City of Camas
City of Washougal
City of Battle Ground
City of Ridgefield
City of La Center
Cowlitz County
In Cowlitz County, we provide sheltering services for animals found in the following jurisdictions:
City of Longview
City of Kelso
City of Woodland
City of Castle Rock
*Unincorporated Cowlitz County - HSSW does not hold a contract with unincorporated Cowlitz County and are unable to provide sheltering services for found, lost, or stray animals from that jurisdiction.
If you need assistance with a found animal in unincorporated Cowlitz County, please contact the Cowlitz County Sheriff at 360.577.3092, option 7 or 360.762.6800 (for non-emergency animal issues)
More Information
For more information about municipal services and to learn who to contact if you have an animal welfare concern, click the link below.
Our pets can be escape artists. And even the most prepared family may find themselves searching for a lost pet. A few important measures can help to find a lost pet and give you peace of mind if they wander.
Microchip your pet. A microchip acts as an added insurance policy and will help reunite lost animals with their owners, even if the animal somehow slips their collar. At HSSW, all animals are microchipped before adoption. Microchip services can be obtained at your family vet or at our Community Veterinary Clinic.
Have your pet wear a collar, ID, and license. This ensures that your pet can be traced back and returned to you.
Spay/neuter your pet. Neutering helps to reduce a pet's instinct to roam and helps solve the overpopulation problem. We offer low-cost spay/neuter at our Community Veterinary Clinic.
Keep cats indoors. Make sure your cat stays inside unless on a harness/leash or in a supervised area.
Fence your yard if practical. Make sure when your dog is outside it is in a fenced yard or on a leash.
Petco Love Lost
HSSW is a registered partner with Petco Love Lost - a free and easy way to search 200,000+ lost and found pets to help them return home.
The Petco Love Lost database includes pets reported lost or found by individuals as well as thousands of shelter partners across the country. By uploading a photo of your lost or found pet and reporting it in their system, that pet will be visible to owners searching for their pet – making happy pet reunions just a few clicks away.
If You are Looking for Your Lost Pet
Found pets are added to our website multiple times every day. If your pet is lost, our website with a listing of found pets every day to see if your pet has been brought to the shelter.
Lost pet reports make a difference, but do not rely on the report alone. If you are looking for a lost pet, check our listing of found pets in our care every day to see if your pet was brought to the shelter.
