I Lost My Pet

Search Online

• Browse the online listing of lost & found pets in our shelter to see if your pet is listed (click the icons above to start your search). Pets that are not claimed within the 48 – 72 hour holding period may be made available for adoption. If your pet has been lost for 48 hours or longer and you don’t see them listed in the lost pet listings, please check our Adoptable Pet pages.
• Upload photos to Petco Love Lost of your missing pet. Those photos are immediately scanned to determine whether the lost pet is at a participating shelter or with a neighbor in the community.
• Complete a lost pet report on 24PetWatch.

Visit Our Shelter

• A staff member will escort you to view all stray pets at the shelter.
• Please note that the legal holding period for strays is 48 – 72 hours depending on jurisdiction, and so it’s important to act quickly. We recommend you visit the shelter at least every other day. For details on reclaim fees, check out our reclaim fees page.

Don’t Give Up!

Some pets have been reunited with their owners months or even years after being lost. Continue to check in with our staff and our website.

Other Tips

• Create signs with your pet’s photo and post them in the area where they went missing. For an easy-to-use template, check out 24PetWatch’s lost pet sign.
• Call your nearest veterinary clinics and leave a description of your lost pet.
• Post a classified ad in the local newspaper.
• Talk with your neighbors or neighborhood watch.
• Create signage to distribute around your community.
• Check lost & found Facebook groups, Craigslist, Pawboost and neighborhood apps.

Stray Hold Period

• If your pet doesn’t have any identification: 48-72 hours from time of impound depending on jurisdiction.* 
• If your pet has identification (microchip, license, etc.): the hold period may be extended beyond the standard 48-72 hours.* 

*The standard time period the Humane Society for Tacoma & Pierce County will hold a stray animal for their owners is set by ordinances (Tacoma 17.01.080, Pierce County 6.02.070, Lakewood 6.02.070).  HSTPC may extend hold times on a case-by-case basis in the interest of reuniting animals with their owners; however, you must notify HSTPC of the need for an extension prior to the hold time expiring. 

Check out this resource if you are looking for a lost pet.
Check out this flowchart if you’ve found kittens. 
Check out this resource if you’ve found a loose cat.