MSPCA Lost Pet Information
Found an animal? Skip ahead for information
The MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Centers receive several stray animals each day. Dogs brought to us as strays are often transferred to the animal control facility for the town in which they were found. Though, due to some circumstances stray dogs may spend their stray hold period with the MSPCA. In Massachusetts, stray dogs are required to be held for 7 days. However, there is no “stray holding period” law for other animals, including cats, which means you must act quickly to report your missing pet. The best way to find your pet is to contact us as soon as you notice your pet missing. The MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Centers receive stray animals from all over Massachusetts, and sometimes adjacent states, so please contact us even if you do not live close to an MSPCA location.
Our Contact Information
To report a lost pet, please fill out the form below. This is the most effective way to notify us about your lost pet.
Boston
Fill Out a Lost Cat Report Fill Out a Lost Dog Report Fill Out a Lost Other Animal Report
Methuen/Nevins Farm
Fill Out a Lost Cat Report Fill Out a Lost Dog Report Fill Out a Lost Other Animal Report
Cape Cod
Fill Out a Lost Cat Report Fill Out a Lost Dog Report Fill Out a Lost Other Animal Report
You can also contact us by phone to notify our staff of your lost pet, or to make an appointment if you need in person assistance. Contact information for each of our adoption center locations can be found here: https://www.mspca.org/adoption-centers/
Visit our Lost Cat Listings and join the MSPCA Lost and Found Pets Facebook page for descriptions and pictures of the stray cats and other animals currently at MSPCA Adoption Centers.
After contacting us, Take the Following Important Steps
1) Watch this video, it will give you practical advice and HOPE! These excellent videos from our friends at the Front St. Animal Shelter in Sacramento, CA detail the most important steps you should take immediately after your cat or dog goes missing, some of which are also outlined on the list below:
How to find a lost cat (English)
How to find a lost cat (Spanish)
How to find a lost dog (English)
How to find a lost dog (Spanish)
2) Call all surrounding city and towns animal control offices. In Massachusetts, animal control is handled individually by each of the 351 municipalities and towns. Typically, stray and lost animals are held in local facilities. Private animal shelters like the MSPCA will also sometimes receive stray animals and reports of lost pets. If we receive a lost pet, we will attempt to contact the Animal Control Officer from that city or town, and may sometimes transfer the animal back to them. Calling all surrounding towns animal control offices is essential as often a lost animal is brought far away from the original town it went missing from.
3) Call and visit other local shelters to report your animal missing.
4) If your animal is microchipped, contact your microchip company to report your animal missing and update your contact information. It is important that the contact information linked to the microchip is accurate, so the shelter, animal control officer or veterinarian who finds your pet will be able to contact you when the chip is scanned. If you are unsure of your pet’s microchip number, contact the adoption agency where you adopted your pet, your veterinarian, or their previous owner for records. Once you know your pet’s microchip number you can use the AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup site to find out which microchip company you should contact to register or update your information.
5) Post fliers in the area you last saw your pet. Keep the information simple and basic, with a large photo and your contact information. Print the flyers with a color photo. The bigger the poster/flyer size, the better and make sure to post flyers at eye level. The MSPCA can also create and print flyers for you if you need assistance.
6) Post online: Post a photo of your lost pet along with their description, the area they went missing from, and your contact information on websites where people might look if they’ve found an animal. Below are some resources and ideas for places to post online:
PawBoost is like an AMBER Alert for lost pets. Millions of pet lovers have joined their Rescue Squad by signing up for localized lost & found pet alerts. More importantly, PawBoost has helped reunite over 1 million pets with their families. Posting is free, with optional premium services available.
Petco Love Lost is an online platform that uses facial recognition tools to match lost animals to strays in animal shelters. The MSPCA and other area shelters are Petco Love Lost partners.
Other recommendations are Facebook (especially local neighborhood pages or lost and found pet pages), Nextdoor.com, Lostmykitty.com, Lostmydoggie.com, Petfbi.org, and Craigslist.com. Some finders of pets will post on these sites as well, so be sure to search them regularly. Some finders of pets will post on these sites as well, so be sure to search them regularly.
7) Tell your neighbors and mail carrier – make sure you give them a copy of lost pet flyers you made.
8) Search for your pet.
For cats: Studies show that many indoor only cats who find themselves lost outside immediately go into survival mode and their main focus becomes hiding. They may not act the way they normally do, or even respond to their owner’s calls or tempting with food or treats. A scared cat may stay in their hiding spot for as long as 10-14 days before becoming desperate enough for food and comfort to venture back out. This means as an owner you should thoroughly search your neighborhood regularly, on foot, thinking about where a small, scared animal might seek shelter.
Cats who regularly go outdoors and are comfortable in their environment may have been spooked by something and fled to a territory they are no longer familiar with, accidentally stuck in someone’s garage/shed/basement, or were taken in by someone who thinks they are homeless. On foot, thorough searches of these areas, and asking your neighbors to open their out buildings for you is important, as well as putting up flyers in the neighborhood and beyond to receive sightings or hear from someone who may have your cat.
For dogs: Depending on your dog’s personality and the circumstances that caused them to be lost, they may be hiding close to the area they were last seen, or they may have traveled a long distance in a short period of time. Leaving an item with a familiar scent in the area your dog was last seen, as well as strong smelling food is advised. Do not call out to or chase a lost dog who may be too scared to recognize their owner. Instead walk quietly with treats and a leash, and if the dog is spotted, sit quietly and let them come to you. Ask family and friends who know your pet to help you search out potential hiding spots. For additional tips and support finding your lost dog visit https://www.missingdogsmass.com/
9) Set a trap for your lost cat –Setting a trap in your yard or on your porch may entice your lost cat to come out to eat when it is quiet. Traps can be rented at our adoption centers for a $65 deposit which is refunded in full when the trap is returned. Staff can give you advice on how to most successfully set and work the trap. Tips for how to trap cats can also be found from our friends at Alley Cat Allies.
10) Don’t give up hope– Your pet is relying upon you to help them get back home! Taking these steps quickly will give you the best chance of being reunited with your beloved family member
Found an animal? Help that animal find their way back home.
1) Fill out a Found Report with the MSPCA Adoption Center
This information will help us match up the animal with any lost reports we may have received from owners looking for their missing pets.
Our Contact Information
To report a found pet, please fill out the form below. This is the most effective way to notify us.
Boston
Fill Out a Found Cat Report Fill Out a Found Dog Report Fill Out a Found Other Animal Report
Methuen/Nevins Farm
Fill Out a Found Cat Report Fill Out a Found Dog Report Fill Out a Found Other Animal Report
Cape Cod
Fill Out a Found Cat Report Fill Out a Found Dog Report Fill Out a Found Other Animal Report
You can also contact us by phone to notify our staff of your found pet, or to make an appointment if you need in person assistance. Contact information for each of our adoption center locations can be found here https://www.mspca.org/adoption-centers/
2) Contact all surrounding city and town animal control offices to fill out a found pet report. * This is required by law if you have found a lost dog.
In Massachusetts, animal control is handled individually by each of the 351 municipalities and towns. Owners looking for their pets may only contact the city/town where their pet was initially lost. It is important as the finder of the pet to let all surrounding animal control facilities as well as surrounding private animal shelters like the MSPCA know you have found an animal in case the owner has been in contact with that facility.
3) Post flyers in your neighborhood.
Keep the information simple and basic, with a large photo and your contact information. Print the flyers with a color photo. The bigger the poster/flyer size, the better and make sure to post flyers at eye level. The MSPCA can also create and print flyers for you if you need assistance
4) Tell your neighbors and mail carrier
Make sure you give them a copy of the found pet flyers you made.
5) Bring the animal to a Veterinary Clinic or Animal Shelter and ask them to scan the pet for a microchip
This service is offered free of charge at most animal control, shelter, and veterinary clinics.
6) Post online: Post a photo of the found pet along with their description, the area they were found, and your contact information on websites where people might look if they’ve lost an animal.
For found dogs, notify https://www.missingdogsmass.com/
PawBoost is like an AMBER Alert for lost pets. Millions of pet lovers have joined their Rescue Squad by signing up for localized lost & found pet alerts. More importantly, PawBoost has helped reunite over 1 million pets with their families. Posting is free, with optional premium services available.
Petco Love Lost is an online platform that uses facial recognition tools to match lost animals to strays in animal shelters. The MSPCA and other area shelters are Petco Love Lost partners.
Other recommendations are Facebook (especially local neighborhood pages or lost and found pet pages), Nextdoor.com, Lostmykitty.com, Lostmydoggie.com, Petfbi.org, and Craigslist.com. Some finders of pets will post on these sites as well, so be sure to search them regularly. Some finders of pets will post on these sites as well, so be sure to search them regularly.
7) Adoption – Keeping the animal as your own
Once you have reported the found animal to animal control and sheltering facilities in your area, posted flyers, spoke with neighbors and scanned the animal for a microchip if no owner comes forward after a few weeks, and you are interested in adopting the animal you have found, check out this link to see if you may qualify for our low cost spay and neuter veterinary programs.
If you are not able to hold onto the animal until an owner can be found
If you have found a lost dog, please contact your local animal control office. The Animal Control Officer can let you know where they are located or may be able to come and pick up the dog. If you bring the dog to the MSPCA, we are required to transfer the dog to the animal control facility of the city or town where the dog was found. Bringing the dog to your animal control officer directly will help them gather all the information they need from you and avoid a second, potentially stressful transition for the dog. Being brought to the animal control facility in the town where they were found is also the dog’s best chance of being reunited with their owners.
If you have found a lost cat or other type of pet and would like to bring it to an MSPCA Adoption Center, once you have filled out the Found Pet Form contact us about making arrangements to surrender the animal by visiting our surrender information website