Found a pet? Thank You for Helping!
Most animals are found close to home (on average, just a few houses away). A neighbor has a MUCH higher chance of helping a pet get home than a shelter does.
If you’re able to hold onto a stray pet while you look for the owner, you’re upping the odds that they’ll find their family while helping shelters save space for sick and injured pets. That’s a win-win!
If the pet is sick or injured, please call 3-1-1 (or 512-974-2000).
Text ‘foundatx’ to (844) 764-2125 to receive texts with proven tips that guide you through the family-finding process.
View pets who have been reported lost in the area.
There are many ways to help a pet get home. Most owners are found through microchips and social media. Here are ways you can help.
Step 1: Report the Pet on Petco Love Lost
- Upload a photo of the pet
- Automatically search for matches nearby and across the country
- Get a free flyer to print or share online
- Let the tool search Nextdoor for a possible match
You can also call 3-1-1 to report the pet. You’ll be referred to post on Petco Love Lost.
Step 2: Try to Find the Owner Yourself
- Walk the pet around your neighborhood
- Have a vet or fire station scan for a microchip
- Post the flyer from Petco Love Lost to Nextdoor, Craigslist, and Austin Lost and Found Pets on Facebook
- Put up flyers in the area (vet offices, parks, coffee shops)
Step 3: Can You Keep the Pet for a Few Days?
- If the pet is healthy and friendly, holding onto it helps reduce shelter crowding
- Fill out our Found Pet Report so we know you’re caring for the animal
Step 4: Need to Bring the Pet In?
- Only bring the pet to the shelter if:
- It is sick, injured, or in danger
- You cannot safely keep it
Contact the Pet Resource Center to arrange an intake appointment: Pet.resources@austintexas.gov
Learn about our Finder to Foster program.
This new resource available to found pets is vital in helping them be reunited with their owner. The shelter will provide you with initial supplies and resources to set you both up for success.
Healthy Found Cats
- Around 35% of owners allow their cats to free roam, sometimes without visible identification like a collar or nametag. In Austin, it’s very common for people to let their own cats outside, or to be a caretaker to a free-roaming cat without an identifiable owner, also called a ‘community cat’. Community Cats can be friendly or adverse to people. Try the paper collar trick to see if this cat has someone looking out for it:
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Print this: Paper collar template
Kittens
Found a kitten? View our guide.
Email our Community Cats program at communitycats@austintexas.gov for more services available to you and community cats.
Shelter Intake
The shelter should be the last resort for health found animals. Keeping found pets in their community significantly increases their chances of being reunited with their family, and helps the shelter save space for animals that truly need to be there. Just holding onto a pet for 2 days is a HUGE help.
Our Pet Resource Center can provide supplies like a crate, food, leash, and collar to help you hold onto the pet while you look for the owner.
If you've done everything you can to find the owner and have not been successful, intake hours are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wait times may be long and intake may be restricted for certain categories of pets due to space issues. View current intake capacity here.
*LostATX and FoundATX Texting Programs
AUTOMATED TEXT MESSAGING PRIVACY POLICY / TERMS & CONDITIONS
Agreement to Receive Text Messages
By providing your mobile number, you agree that Austin Animal Center may send you text messages (including SMS and MMS). Austin Animal Center will send you up to twenty (20) messages per month. Message and data rates may apply.
You may opt out at any time by texting the word STOP to phone number (844) 764-2125. For help, send the word HELP to (844) 764-2125.
You agree to notify us of any changes to your mobile number and update your account with us to reflect this change.
Austin Animal Center does not store your personal information for this service. Phone numbers and other information are stored by Simple Texting. Simple Texting's privacy policy can be found at https://simpletexting.com/privacy-policy/.
Will I be charged for the text messages I receive?
Though Austin Animal Center will never charge you for the text messages you receive, depending on your phone plan, you may be charged by your mobile provider.