If you have lost a pet, we recommend exploring the tips shown below.

1. Check with the Harris County Pets Resource Center.

Found pets are often brought to the resource center for their safety. Please either check the Harris County Pets website or make an appointment here to come look for your lost pet. 

Please note that fees/fines may be applied in order to pick up an animal at the Harris County Pets Resource Center. Learn more here.

2. Ensure your microchip information is up to date.

Contact your veterinarian and the microchip company to make sure they have current contact information for you. If your pet is found, someone may try to call the veterinarian's office or microchip company themselves from your pet's tags.

3. Check with neighbors, search on foot, or use social media.

Use your community to your advantage, and try the following: 

• Check with neighbors - especially families with children - and ask if they have seen a pet that looks like yours.
• Post flyers nearby with a picture and description of your pet as well as how to contact you. You can also bring flyers to local veterinarians' offices in case anyone brings your pet into the office.
• Search your neighborhood / the location they were last seen on foot. They may nearby but injured and unable to get home.
• If your neighborhood or community has a group on social media platforms like Facebook or Next Door, post a picture of and information about your pet so others may help you look for them.

4. Set up a sensory area to lure your pet home.*

Leave a towel or article of clothing with your scent on it outside of your home. Your pet may be disoriented and could be attracted by your scent. 

*While potentially helpful, this should not be the only effort made to find your lost pet in case they are injured or lost too far away from home.

Other Helpful Resources

• Petco Love Lost
• PetHarbor
• Use your car as a billboard to advertise your lost pet
• Next Door
• PawBoost
• Lost My Doggie
• Cat Finder

If you have found a pet, it is best to assume that the animal is lost rather than abandoned - and make every effort to reunite it with the owner. Follow the tips below to begin this process.

1. Check for a microchip* at either the Harris County Pets Resource Center or a local veterinarian.

In order to determine if an animal is microchipped, bring the pet to our facility or a veterinarian to be scanned. If a microchip is found, it may be easier to find and contact the pet's owners.

*What is a microchip? Learn more here.

2. Post a flyer near the location the pet was found.

Return to the area where you found the animal and put up a sign stating you found the animal. An owner may return to this location, and this may help you reach them.

3. Check out local social media groups, website, or apps where a lost pet may be listed.

Owners may turn to community Facebook groups, apps like NextDoor, or resources like PetHarbor to search for lost pets. See if the pet is posted there or make your own post letting them know you are searching for the owner.

*If you find the owner - especially from a newspaper or website post - ask them to provide a photo of their pet and meet in a public place, like a police station.

More information about microchips...

• A microchip is a small device (size of a grain of rice) that is permanent and implanted with a needle under the skin of pets. 
• Pets do not have to be given any pain medication or anesthesia to implant a microchip. 
• Microchips are not likely to move or need repair if implanted correctly. 
• When scanned, microchips show a unique code. The microchip must be registered with the corresponding microchip manufacture to record any owner and animal data. 
• They do not work like GPS locators or the LoJack Vehicle Recovery System. They cannot give a signal to locate your lost pet.

Microchips/Microchip Registration

• AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup
• AKC - CAR
• AVID
• HomeAgain
• PetLink
• ResQ

We can microchip your pet at our Harris County Pets Resource Center. Refer to Fees/Fines for pricing.