What to do if you find a lost dog
1) Be Safe
If you can, get the dog to a safe and secure area. Be aware of your surroundings. Your safety and the safety of others should come first. Do not run or chase the dog into traffic.
2) Check for identification
Check if the dog is wearing a collar and has an ID tag or a license tag. Sometimes people write phone numbers directly on the collar instead of attaching a tag. Also, check for possible injuries. If there is an identification tag, call or text and set up a reunion. For City licenses, call the Animal Services Center at 585-428-7274. For rabies tags, contact the veterinary clinic listed.
3) Knock on doors
Check with your neighbors or other people in the area. They may know the dog and can help you locate its home.
4) Snap photos
Take shots of the dog, street signs, and the area where the dog was found.
5) File a Found Pet Report
Call 585-428-6722 or submit an online Found Pet Report, or visit the shelter during regular business hours.
6) Check for microchip
Take the dog to a local vet’s office, the Animal Services Center, or any of the microchip checkpoint locations listed above to scan for a microchip. If the dog has a chip, check the registry. This may be the fastest and best way to find an owner. RAS can help with research if the chip is not registered. If not registered, check AAHA Microchip Lookup for the company where the microchip originated. Call the company and ask them to contact the pet owner.
More info: RAS: Microchip scanning
7) Post on social media
Post photos and locations on social media sites like Craigslist, Facebook, and Nextdoor. Create a Found Pet profile on Petco Love Lost, which uses facial recognition to match lost and founding postings.
8) Make and Post Flyers
Hang flyers in heavy traffic areas and public spaces near where the dog was found. Good old-fashioned leg work is still the best way to locate an owner.
9) Can you hold onto the dog for 48 hours?
Typically, pets do not wander very far from home, so chances are that someone is looking for them close to where they were found. Keeping a found pet at home helps keep the shelter population low and prevents the missing pet from being housed in a high-stress environment and exposed to disease. RAS can provide vaccines for found pets if you are willing to take them home with you. If you do take in a lost dog, it is always best to house the dog separately from other pets and from small children to avoid any possible injuries or contagious illnesses.
10) If you cannot locate the owner and cannot keep…
If you are not able to house the dog safely, you can bring it to the shelter during regular business hours. To make an appointment, call 585-428-7274. Our team may also have other options for the pet that doesn’t require going to the shelter.
Even if a dog is found dirty, injured, or afraid, it does not necessarily mean the dog was abused or dumped. Try to avoid making assumptions or judgments. It is possible that the dog has been missing for several days or even weeks and has been injured or experienced adverse conditions during that time. Ask yourself if you had lost a pet, what would you want a finder to do?
After Hours
Refer to this page for emergency veterinary services outside of RAS hours. Please call ahead to let the clinic you choose know if you are bringing in a sick or injured animal that you found.
Search pets reported as lost
The link buttons below are tools that pull data from our records management system and provide live lost pet data to this web page. These are beloved companion animals whose owners are searching for them.
By sharing these records we are giving the world information about pets that have been reported by community members to Animal Services as lost; giving them a better chance at being found.
Lost records are posted to the search tool as they are entered into the records management system. People who find roaming pets can use these tools to help get them back to their families quicker and often without requiring intake at a shelter. Finders receive guidance and support from our office and they submit Found Animal Reports, post Found Pet Flyers, use Petco Love Lost facial recognition tool, and knock on doors to attempt to locate the animals' people or individuals who may know where the animals' homes are.
View other animals reported as lost