Lost Pets
What to do if you've lost your pet or found a stray
Lost a Pet?
Losing a pet is a frightening and emotional time for both the owner and the lost pet. We’re here to help. First, take a deep breath and then follow these steps:
1. Search Online
- Browse the online listing of found pets in our shelter to see if your pet is listed (click the icons above to start your search).
- 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.
2. Visit our shelter
- A staff member will escort you to view all stray pets at the shelter.
- Strays are held a minimum of three days before the process of adoption begins. We recommend you visit the shelter at least every other day.
3. Check with our staff
- Give us a call at (253) 383-2733 or stop by the shelter to speak with staff who can look through a listing of found animals that are not in view. They may be held at someone’s home, a veterinary clinic, deceased, or in quarantine.
4. 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
- 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.
Found a Stray?
1. Bring the animal to our shelter
- You can bring a found pet to the shelter seven days a week, from 11:00 am – 5:30 pm.
- If found outside of these hours, please provide housing until the shelter opens or call local animal control to pick up the pet.
2. Contact animal control
- If the pet is wearing a license, call your local animal control for the owner’s information. Animal control officers will bring strays without licenses to us for sheltering.
3. Locate the owner
- You can post online and put up signage around your community to help locate the owners.
- Call the shelter at (253) 383 – 2733 to give our staff a description of the pet for it to be included in our found pet records.
- Call your local veterinary clinics with a description of the pet.
- Have the pet scanned for a microchip at your local veterinary clinic, or bring it to the shelter to be scanned.