Found A Pet?
We're Here to Help!
Thank you for helping this lost pet! If the stray is sick or injured and in need of immediate help, please contact your jurisdiction’s Animal Control. Otherwise, below are the steps you can take to help reunite them with their family or get them the care they need.
The majority of lost or stray animals have families who love them and are typically found less than one mile from their homes. If you have found a pet, please try to reunite them with their owner before bringing them to the shelter.
Indian River County Animal Control
4305 43rd Avenue #102B
Vero Beach, FL 32967
(772) 226-4799
City of Vero Beach Animal Control
1055 20th Street
Vero Beach, FL 32960
(772)-978-4600
These tips can help you reunite the animal with their family!
If you are in a position to keep the animal in your home while searching for their family, please review the tips below to help guide your search:
- Check for an ID tag. See if the animal is wearing a collar with identifying information.
- Register the lost pet. Register the pet with HSVB’s 24PetConnect search website.
- Ask your neighbors. Eighty percent of lost pets are found within one mile of their home. Ask your neighbors or people in the area if they recognize the animal or know the owner.
- Search PawBoost. Search PawBoost for animals who have been reported as lost or missing.
- Hold the pet for a few hours. If you can, keep the animal in your care while you see if you’re able to locate the owner in your neighborhood rather than bringing them into the shelter. If you found a stray dog, these tips can help you safely introduce them to your resident dogs. If you have cats or small pets at home, it’s best to keep them separated from the stray dog.
- Check the chip! If the pet is not wearing an ID tag, you can take them to your local veterinary office or shelter to have them scanned for a microchip.
- Create a Found Pet flyer. Create a flyer and post it at local coffee shops, dog parks, pet stores, veterinary offices and other businesses.
- Use online resources. Post about found pets on Facebook groups, Nextdoor, etc.
What to do when you find kittens outdoors
When you discover kittens outdoors, it can be tempting to scoop them up and bring them indoors. However, it is important to know that this is almost never in a kitten’s best interest.
is the cat you found really lost?
If you have found a lost, stray or abandoned cat it is important to make every effort to try to find the owner.
Cats require a different approach than dogs and other small pets for the following reasons:
- Less than 5% of stray cats entering animal shelters are reunited with their owners.
- The best outcome for healthy community cats is to return them to their outdoor homes.
For these reasons, we take a comprehensive approach to reunite lost cats with their families. We use technology, social media and community networks to increase the likelihood of family reunions rather than encouraging finders to bring healthy cats to shelters.
How can you determine if a cat is a lost pet, one who just spends time outdoors each day, or a free-roaming community cat?
- If a cat is wearing a collar and tag, they likely belong to someone in your neighborhood. Call the phone number on the tag and ask if the cat is actually lost.
- If you meet a cat who is missing a small portion (1/4-1/2 inch) of the tip of one ear, this indicates the cat has been spayed/neutered and is a free-roaming community cat. No action is necessary unless the cat appears injured, sick or in immediate danger.*
- If the cat is friendly but doesn’t have identification or a tipped ear, they probably live in the neighborhood and may be a community cat, lost or allowed to spend time outdoors.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT stray HOLD
Once an animal is brought to HSVB as a stray, cats will serve a mandatory 3 day stray hold, and dogs will serve a mandatory 5 day stray hold. If the owner is not located and you are interested in adopting the pet, we will be happy to help you complete the adoption once the legally required stray holding period ends. Owners of pets with identification will be contacted via phone and/or email. After the 5 day hold, animals will be evaluated and may no longer be available to reclaim.
6230 77th Street
Vero Beach, FL 32967
Monday – Friday
9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
(772) 388-3331
If you have questions or would like to schedule an appointment, please call our Pet Help Team.