Lost A Pet or Found a Pet in Las Vegas?

Rescue and Adoption Sanctuary

Lost a pet in Las Vegas? Found a pet in Las Vegas? Here is useful information, advice and contact numbers to find your pet.

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Here is what to do if your pet has been lost or you found a lost pet.

A. LIED ANIMAL FOUNDATION in Las Vegas is a NOT a NO-KILL "shelter", so think about that before you take any animal there. If you lost a pet, go to the shelter and check there OFTEN because they are only held for 72 hours or 3 days (as required by law). They can not respond to phone calls. You have to physically go down to the shelter and LOOK for your pet. You can also go to their web site (www.animalfoundation.com) and follow their links to Lost/Found to see many turned in animals. Click on that and it will take you to a place that asks what type of animal you are looking for and click on only the type of animal listed if YOU WANT to see all the animals they have taken in under that type of pet. This is the only way I would search as errors are possible when identifying the large number of cats being processed. If you search this way you will see all the ones they have posted on their web site. I would NEVER TOTALLY rely on the web site information so go there and look too. When you go to look for your lost pet TAKE SOME form of identification showing you are the owner of this animal so they will know they are giving you back YOUR pet. BRING A PHOTO OF YOUR PET. Also expect to pay some fines so have some money or credit card with you. Remember this agency has cared for your animal, possibly went and picked up your animal or has taken care of it since it got lost and was turned in by the person that found your pet and couldn't find you. That all costs money. Another thing you can do is use this site to post lost and found by the public...follow the links provided. You can also look at the ones that are available for adoption using this site. If your pet was there and not rescued out of there it MIGHT be listed for adoption also.

Lied Animal Shelter
655 N. Mojave Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89101-2801

384-3333

Henderson Animal Care and Control Facility
300 E. Galleria
Henderson, Nevada 89011-1903

267-4970

Boulder City Animal Control
810 Yucca St.
Boulder City NV 89005

293-9283

Remember all of these shelters are NOT no-kill shelters. Quite the opposite. You need to visit the shelter in your jurisdiction every other day. Animals can travel so if your pet isn't in the shelter of your jurisdiction, check the other shelters also. For example, a City of Las Vegas resident could be driving through Henderson, find a lost pet and drop it off at Lied Animal Shelter or have them pick up the animal from them. Don't just check for your lost pet in the area you live in. They can and do travel far. The Henderson shelter is just for the City of Henderson and the Animal Foundation is responsible for the rest of our area in Las Vegas. Shelters HAVE to take animals turned in to them. Rescues and other animal agencies do not have to take animals turned in. They are the no kill rescues and are usually full but I know many people are able to turn in found pets to them too, so don't forget to check these places also.

When you are at the shelters, check the shelter books/binders. These binders will list descriptions of those animals found dead, those animals injured and receiving medical care at a veterinarian and those found animals being held by individuals and organizations.

B. If you find an animal, you can post a FREE ad in the Las Vegas Review Journal for 4 days. Call 383-0383. If you lost an animal, purchase an ad in the classified section. MANY people just look in the paper.  They don't know about Craig's List or all these other sites. They find a lost pet, they check the paper and then turn the pet over to an agency that is willing to take the pet (sometimes Lied). It would be so nice if an animal could just go home to the owner...not the pound first.

C. If you found an animal, take it to any Vet in the area and have it scanned for a micro-chip. The chip may contain the owner's contact information. Vet's will do this for free.

D. Here are some web-sites to search for a match for you lost or found pet:

1) Search on PetHarbor.com. Within this site you can Post a Found Pet, Look for Lost Pets, Search Adoptable Pets and do a Search by ID. You have to follow the directions and scroll to the bottom of pages to find the right buttons to click or areas to enter information. It is a two sided screen with the ability to go up and down on both sides. Many people don't scroll to the bottom of pages so they miss what they are looking for.

2) Go to AnimalFoundation.com and click on the lost/found sign. This will take you to a part of PetHarbor.com that allows you to place your found or lost pet on this site. Please do that. Then if an animal is taken in by SOME of the agencies it will send you an email saying there is a match to your found/lost animal. Also look at all the adoptable ones on this site. If your pet has been gone a long time it might be listed for adoption or maybe you want to see what is available for adoption.

Remember to search SIMILAR breeds as mixed breeds could be entered different then what you might know or think. It can be kind of hard to tell the breed of some pets.

3) Search on 1-800-SAVE-A-PET.com.   When you go to this site look to see where it says "find shelters/rescues" near the top of the page and click on that link and put in your zip code. You will see on the left hand side of the screen about 40 places your pet could be located at or places that might take a found pet. In this same site, select either cat to search for and then type in the type of cat you are looking for if you lost one and give them your email address. If I were looking for a Siamese, I would put in only Siamese, no color, sex etc and select at least a 50 mile search area. By putting in less information you are going to see more cats. People make mistakes on animal breeds so less is better when you are searching. This site will send you emails when an animal is added that matches what you are looking for if you gave your email address.

4) Search on http://petfinder.com/local.html   Click on the post that fits what you want to do.

5) Search on FidoFinder.com There are several found/lost pets from this area on that site. Check it out and place your lost/found pet on it also.

6) Place your lost or found pet on LostPetSOS.com. Very easy site to use for lost/found pets.

7)Helping Animals Return To Their Owners Post Lost/Found on this local site.

8) Place an ad on Craig's List on both the Lost and Found section and the Pet section too. Be sure to include a picture of your pet. Check your computer each day or emails and other postings that might match what you have lost/found. Be sure and go backwards on Craig's list too if your pet has been gone for a while. It might already have been posted as found or lost. Craig's List also has a search function at the top of the page. Use this function on both the Lost/Found section and the Pet section. If you lost a Tabby for example, just put in Tabby and you will see all entries with the word Tabby in it...remember to do this for both the pet section and the lost/found section. Offering a large reward on Craig's List might get you some scam calls but if you offer enough, someone might knock themselves out searching.

If a pet is not recovered by the owner they are sometimes put up for adoption by the agencies listed on these web sites. I have found adoptable pets that the owners were looking for and just didn't know all the places a pet may end up. So when these sites offer to show your adoptable pets take a look at them.

E. Put up fliers in the area you lost or found a cat INCLUDING at veterinarian clinics, boarding facilities, Petsmarts and Petcos (as may places in your area as possible). On the flyer should be a picture of the animal (lost or found), a detailed description, the general area where the pet was lost or found, your name, telephone number(s) and "reward offered" (if generating a "lost" pet flyer). The reward offered does not need to be a great amount, but it might entice children in your area to look for your lost pet.

Fax the information/flyer to Lied Animal Shelter (384-4563) and Henderson Animal Shelter (267-4971). They will put the flyer in their FOUND book/binder so owners can locate lost animals being housed by the people that found the animal when they go to look at the shelter.

G. Go door to door in your area and either talk to your neighbors or leave your flier. The more people who know your animal is lost; the better. Comb your neighborhood especially in the morning and early evening or at your pet's normal feeding time. For cats kept mostly inside, place an article of clothing with your scent along the perimetry of your property to entice your cat back into your yard. Indoor cats are at a huge disadvantage once outside and may not be able to sense their way home. If you found an animal, going door to door may help find the owner. Most cats hide within five house in either direction. They can hide very well.

H. Call all the humane/rescue groups and list your lost or found pet. All the local groups get calls about found and lost pets so they may be able to help match you up with your pet or an owner.

Remember too, that many people hold onto a pet for days and weeks in hopes of finding the owner so if your animal doesn't show up for a couple of weeks it still could be out there waiting for you. Please don't give up. Keep checking and be sure to check all the adoptable pets...yours could be waiting there on one of these sites.

If you don't find your pet you still will have seen lots of pets looking for homes. If you have the love, space, time and money think about adopting one that is looking for a forever home.

Please spay/neuter your dogs and cats. They are healthier if they are S/N and tend not to stray like un-neutered/spayed pets do. They also do not populate the area if they do get loose. Please get them a micro chip and remember to activate it and keep a collar on a dog or outdoor cat with your CURRENT name and phone number. We strongly recommend that no cat should be an outdoor cat.

I hope this doesn't happen BUT if your pet is injured somehow and picked up by the one of the Animal Control agencies it is taken to the Henderson Animal Control facility or the Animal Foundation or to a vet they do business with. The only way you can see if they picked up your injured pet is to call or go to their facility and check. The only agency that has a 24/7 recorded line that tells you what injured pets they have picked up is Clark County. Their number is 455-7710, option 4. They update their information twice daily so call this number to see if your injured animal was picked up and where it was taken. You can also call Henderson Animal control at 267-4970. Animals picked up in the city limits of Las Vegas or in North Las Vegas go to the Animal Foundation so you will have to go to them to see if your animal was picked up after being injured. Clark County, City of Las Vegas and North Las Vegas contract with the Animal Foundation so all picked up animals go there or to a vet they contract with.

Good Samaritans are able to take an injured found animal to the Animal Emergency Center of Las Vegas, 457-8050. They are open evenings and weekends when most Vet Clinics are closed.

Las Vegas Animal Emergency Hospital at 822-1045, also takes injured animals from Good Samaritans. They are located in the area of Charleston and Decatur. If you lost your animal you should call them too..maybe someone dropped off your lost/injured pet.