View Stray Animals In Our Care
I Lost My Pet
If you have lost a pet, we recommend taking these steps immediately:
1. Check our listing of animals currently in our care.
2. Immediately contact your local animal control agency to report your missing dog or cat.
3. If your pet is microchipped, contact your microchip company.
4. Check your local veterinary clinics.
5. Place flyers around the area your pet was lost.
6. Notify your neighbors.
7. Post online.
If you see your pet on this page, follow the instructions for how to reclaim your pet.
All found stray animals should be taken to the shelter contracted to provide animal services for the city or town where they were found. This helps ensure owners know where to look for and reclaim their lost pets. If you live near a city border, report your lost pet to the animal control agencies in both cities.
East Bay SPCA holds municipal contracts with the cities of Livermore and San Leandro to care for stray and abandoned animals.
Provide as much detail as you can when describing your missing dog or cat, including age, sex, color, whether it’s spayed or neutered, where your pet was last seen, whether your pet was wearing a collar and/or ID, photos, and any other identifying characteristics.
Inform your microchip company that your pet is lost. Make sure your information is up to date with your pet’s microchip company. Current address and phone numbers allow a shelter or veterinarian to reach you in case your pet is found.
Injured pets may have been taken to a vet by a concerned resident.
Describe your missing pet with photos and leave a contact number in case your pet is found. Include:
- Color
- Size
- Age
- Any special markings
- The date when your pet was lost
Be sure to remove the posters once you have found your pet.
Search the area thoroughly especially in the evenings, since pets may hide during the day.
If your neighborhood has message or bulletin boards or if you have a NextDoor account, post the photo and animal description for your neighbors to view. You can also spread the word on social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, and to sites like Petco Love Lost, Pet Harbor, Finding Rover, PawBoost, Lostmydoggie, Lostmykitty, and Craigslist.
I Found An Animal
If you find a stray or lost pet, immediately contact your local Animal Control agency in order to give the pet the best chance of being reunited with its owner. If you have any concerns about abuse or neglect based on the pet’s condition when you found them, please discuss these concerns with your local Animal Control. You can take these steps to help:
1. Exotic Pets & Wildlife Resources
2. Temporarily keep the pet in your home.
3. Place flyers around the area your pet was found.
4. Post online.
You may be asked by your local Animal Control agency to temporarily keep the pet in your home if you are able to care for them while they try to find the pet’s owner. They will handle the return of the pet to the owner and will contact you if they have made an owner match.
Considering permanently keeping the animal you found? Pets that can be legally owned, in California, are considered personal property. According to California Penal Code 485, a person who finds and appropriates lost property without first making reasonable and just efforts to find the owner and to restore the property to the owner may be guilty of theft. It is important to report the found pet to the animal control agency servicing the area where the pet was found and to follow your jurisdiction’s policies and procedures regarding stray animals.
Describe the animal with photos and leave a contact number in case the owner sees the flyer. Include:
- Color
- Size
- Any special markings
- The date when the animal was found
Be sure to remove the posters once the owners reclaim their pet.
If your neighborhood has message or bulletin boards or if you have a NextDoor account, post the photo and animal description for your neighbors to view. You can also spread the word on social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, and to sites like Pet Harbor, Finding Rover, PawBoost, Lostmydoggie, Lostmykitty, and Craigslist.
