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Contact us as soon as you notice your pet missing. The MSPCA Animal Care and Adoption Centers receive several lost animals each day. Lost dogs are transferred to the animal control facility in the town they were found.
Lost dogs will only stay at the MSPCA if the town’s animal control is unable to assist. In Massachusetts, lonly lost dogs are required to be held for 7 days. There is no “stray holding period” law for other animals, including cats.
Adoption Centers
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After contacting us, follow these important steps:
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.
For the lost cats list, click here:
MSPCA Lost & Found Facebook
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 finder 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.
If your town or community has a local Facebook group, post pictures of your pet, when you lost it, the area in which you lost it, and any tips about the animal’s behavior. (i.e. Joey is a very shy dog. Will come with treats, but don’t chase.
These excellent videos detail the most important steps you should take immediately after your cat or dog goes missing:
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.
Call and visit other local shelters to report your animal missing.
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.
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:
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.
Give neighbors a copy of the lost pet flyers you made.
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. A scared cat may stay in a 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.
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. For additional tips and support finding your lost dog visit https://www.missingdogsmass.com/
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.
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.
These are the next steps after you find a dog or cat. Note that instructions are different between dogs and cats.
Please follow these important steps if you found a cat
This service is offered free of charge at most animal control, shelter, and veterinary clinics.
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.
If you are a member of a local Facebook group, post pictures of the found animal, as someone in your group might recognize them. Post the location you found them, and when you found them.
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.
Make sure you give them a copy of the found pet flyers you made.
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.
Notify:
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.
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.
It’s very possible that this might be an indoor/outdoor cat that lives in the neighborhood. A cat found outside who is friendly and confident is unlikely to be a lost cat. This is likely an indoor/outdoor cat or a community cat who belongs in their neighborhood and has a home or caretaker. We are always trying to balance helping cats who actually need intervention with unnecessarily removing cats from the streets where they live, even if it’s with good intentions.
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
If it’s safe to do so, you can put a paper collar on the cat that says something like “Am I your cat? Call 555-5555” and see if a neighbor responds.
