Animal Control: Lost & Found Pets

Lost & Found Pets

Our greatest wish is that this page never be used, but we know that every once in awhile, a pet gets away from us and won't come back when we call for them. This page is designed to offer you tips and assistance to maximize the possibility of bringing your loved one back home safe, sound and quickly.

Tips on how to help your pet come home:
~Make sure your dog has a collar on at all times.
~Make sure to have a name tag on the dog's collar with a phone number.
~Put the rabies tag on the collar on a different ring from the ID tag.
~Put the county tag on the collar by a different ring from the ID and rabies tag or by rivots.

These are good tips to use for ID purposes for your dog. However, it is possible that the collar may break or be pulled off. For a more permanent way to ID, check with your vet about tattooing. A tattoo can be on the belly or in the ear. It can be any type of code that you will know (phone number, pets name, your last name, etc.....). Anything easy for you to remember and identify if your pet were ever lost. If you are interested in microchipping, you can check with your vet or visit Home Again for more information.

What to do when your pet is lost:
~Find a recent photo of your pet.
~Call your local animal shelter and/or SPCA to inform them of your loss.
~Make sure to leave water outside in case your pet comes home at night.
~Make fliers and ask local businesses to display them for you.

What to do if you find a pet that appears to be lost:
~Chances are high that the pet will find its way home by itself. By picking the pet up, thinking you are helping it, you are actually causing the pet stress and reducing its chances of getting home. The best thing to do is leave the pet alone and call the animal shelter (434-263-7047) to report what you have seen. Since you do not know the pet, do not approach it.
~If an unknown animal shows up on your property, leave it alone and call the animal shelter (434-263-7047) to report it. By feeding it, you are encouraging the pet to stick around. Do not approach the pet since you do not know it.

You can also email us with your lost or found pet report. Please email these to: animalcontrol@nelsoncounty.org. We will need all of the following information filled out. Please put Lost Pet or Found Pet as the subject line. You can copy and paste the questions to an email.

Lost Pet:
What is your name, address, and phone number(s)?
When is the last time you saw your pet?
What is your pet's name?
Is your pet male or female?
What breed is your pet?
What color is your pet?
Is your pet small, medium or late? How much does he/she weigh (approximately)?
Is your pet's coat short, medium, long, shaggy or curly?
Does your pet have floppy or erect ears?
Does your pet have a long or short tail?
Does your pet have any defining characteristics?
Does/did your pet have a collar on? Please describe it, including name tags.
Is there anymore information we need to know?

Found Pet:
What is your name, address and phone number(s)?
When did you see the pet (date and approximate time)?
Where did you see the pet?
Do you know if it is a male or female?
Do you know what breed it is?
What color is the pet?
Is the pet small, medium or large?
Is the pet's coat short, medium, long, shaggy or curly?
Does the pet have floppy or erect ears?
Does the pet have a long or short tail?
Does the pet have any defining characteristics?
Does the pet have a collar on? Can you describe it?
Is there anymore information we need to know?

Our mission is to return a lost pet to its home. The more information that we get from you, the better chance we have of finding the pet's home. We do not guarantee that your pet will be returned to you. If your pet is found or returns home, please contact us and tell us the good news.