Losing your beloved companion or finding someone else's can be harrowing. We're here for you.
The Brandywine Valley SPCA partners with Petco Love Lost, the largest free central database of lost and found pets in the country. With more than 200,000+ searchable pets, reuniting pets with their people is as simple as uploading a photo.
Report your missing pet and search for a match on Petco Love Lost, a national lost and found database where shelters and neighbors post found pets. Petco Love Lost uses facial recognition technology, so make sure to upload a clear photo of your pet’s face!
Create a lost pet sign with the Petco Love Lost toolkit after you you register the pet and upload the information. Canvas your neighborhood, talk to neighbors, and check local vet clinics. Post a clear picture and location where the animal was lost on local social media pages.
If your lost pet is microchipped, verify your contact information is up-to-date and inform the microchip company that your pet is lost.
Report the pet as found on Petco Love Lost, where animal shelters and neighbors post lost pets.
If safe, have the animal scanned for a microchip at a local vet, police station, or shelter, and look up the pet’s registration. Check for a collar or tags. If the collar or tag has a phone number, try calling and texting the number.
Check around the area you found the animal, by walking the pet around the area and asking neighbors. Post a clear picture and location where the animal was found on local social media pages, and check for lost pet reports matching the pet.
If you come across a healthy cat in your neighborhood, don’t assume it’s a stray or has been abandoned. The cat may belong to one of your neighbors and likes to explore the outdoors. If they have a tipped ear, you’ve found a community cat! It means they live outdoors, have a caretaker, and have been sterilized and vaccinated. We kindly recommend that you return the cat to where you found it so it can easily find its way back home.
If you come across a cat that is visibly sick or injured, please call (202) 888-PETS so we can determine if the cat needs assistance and, if so, how to provide it. Do not try to handle an aggressive or fearful cat, or if it displays signs of rabies such as walking erratically (in circles, unsteady) or displaying extreme lethargy.
If you’re still unsure if the cat is lost or abandoned, check an ID, collar, or microchip (at a shelter or vet clinic). You can always report the cat as found on Petco Love Lost to ensure word gets out that this cat is roaming your neighborhood. If you contact an owner or a community cat caretaker, you can remove the listing from Petco Love Lost later.
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