The link above will let you view all animals in our online database. If you don’t see your pet, please read through the tips below and use these other online tools:

• The Found Pet Map updates every hour with cats and dogs that have been in our care for less than a week.
• Austin Animal Center’s Twitter account, @austinanimals, updates every hour with lost pets that have just come to the Center.

Basics for Finding Your Pet

• Talk to your neighbors.
• Search the neighborhood and surrounding areas.
• Create a Lost Dog/Cat poster to post in these areas.
• Come to the Center every other day to search the kennels.
• Use the online tools above to search for your pet (this is not a substitute for searching in person).

Create a Lost Pet Flyer & Poster

Getting the word out in the area your pet was lost in is extremely important. Creating a lost poster and a flyer is the best way to do this. Unfortunately, this is a step that many people don’t take the time to utilize, even though it is one of the most effective ways of getting your lost pet back home. 

• Start by reading Missing Pet Partnership’s lost pet poster tips and take a look at this poster/flyer example. 
• Making sure that the poster is visible to passing cars in high traffic areas is critical. Also, use a clear photo with large fonts on a flyer to get attention, along with only pertinent information.
• Bring flyers to vets, groomers, pet boarding facilities, and other local businesses in the area in order to maximize its impact.

Understanding Lost Pet Behavior

Cats and dogs both react differently when lost. Each pet is an individual, so each search should be specifically tailored to your pet’s personality. In order to effectively search for your lost pet, you need to understand the personality of your cat or dog and why he or she might have gotten lost. Missing Pet Partnership provides useful information on lost cat and lost dog behavior.

• Primarily indoor cats and primarily outdoor cats will react differently when lost or displaced. Cats are territorial, so a lost indoor cat will generally hide in fear in an area close to its home. If an outdoor cat is displaced from its territory, there is a reason as to why he or she is not coming back. Missing Pet Partnership documents the many possibilities of what could happen to your cat.
• Understanding your lost dog’s reason for leaving is essential to figuring out the best way to search for him or her. Common reasons for a dog escaping are panic, boredom, and/or looking for a mate. Knowledge of your dog’s personality will help determine what might have happened, how far it has traveled, and the circumstances regarding your dog’s disappearance, as well as how to approach the pet when located/spotted. Take advantage of this when planning where to go and how to get your dog’s attention.

The Dos and Don’ts for Success

Finding your lost pet can take anywhere from a few hours to, in extreme cases, months or years. Human behavior can be an impediment to finding a lost pet.

• Do start searching immediately: The first few hours are critical for getting back a lost pet.
• Do be proactive: Approaching strangers or businesses is necessary for getting information out there.
• Don’t make assumptions: These can cloud judgment and hamper efforts in finding your pet.
• Don’t give up too quickly: Some lost pets are found quickly, while others are not. This all depends on many different factors, so keep trying everything that you can.

If You Find Your Pet

Having your animal microchipped and tagged is very important and useful if it gets lost! As a Travis County Resident, you can get a free microchip and ID tag at the Animal Center during the hours of 11am to 7pm every day.

Found Pets

Lost pets are generally owned by someone. Therefore, don’t keep or adopt out an animal without first making a real effort to locate the owner. Austin Animal Center will accept any pets found in Austin/Travis County.

• If you can keep the found pet temporarily, call or contact 3-1-1 online to submit a Found Animal Report which will appear on our website.
• Take the found pet to Austin Animal Center or nearest veterinarian to have them scanned for a microchip.
• If you cannot keep a found pet, then you can contact 3-1-1 or bring the pet in to our facility. We are open 11am to 7pm weekdays and 11am to 5pm on weekends.

and 11am to 5pm on weekends.