What to do if you've lost a pet?

We know how frightening losing a pet can be for both the owner and the pet. It is our mission to do everything we can to return lost pets home and help those who have lost a pet find their family member. Stray animals are typically held per NC State Law for a minimum of 72 hours for an owner to come reclaim their pet.

Please follow the steps below to increase your chance of finding your lost pet:

1. Update your microchip information. Microchips help reunite pets with owners and those with a microchip are more likely to be reunited. It is critical that your information on your microchip is up to date. The first step is to be sure this information is accurate and up to date so that if a Good Samaritan finds your pet and takes it to a veterinary office or animal control picks up your pet, they have accurate contact information for you. We cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure this information is up to date.
2. File a lost pet report with Guilford County Animal Services. Fill out the Lost Pet form.
3. View our lost pets. You can see every animal currently at Guilford County Animal Services via the links below. Look through our gallery to see if you recognize your pet. This website is the most accurate way to look for your lost pet at Guilford County Animal Services. It updates every 1-3 hours and shows all stray animals at the shelter.
4. Spread the news. Create a lost pet flyer and spread the word not only in your neighborhood, but through social media and lost and found apps. Some of the commonly used social media and lost and found apps are listed below.

Stray Pets

For Those Interested in Adoption

Pet Detective Program

Guilford County Animal Services Pet Detective Program is a new volunteer program that works with the shelter to help reunite lost pets with their owners. GCAS Pet Detectives utilize social media, websites, and Nextdoor to post strays and lost and found reports, then look for matches of posted lost and found pets to help reunite them with their owners. The more people looking, sharing, and cross-referencing pets increases the chances of returning lost pets to their homes.

Are you interested in becoming a GCAS Pet Detective? It's as easy as joining our GCAS Pet Detective Facebook Group! We post lost, found, and stray animals for our GCAS Detectives to access and share/post.  We also invite members of the public to directly post lost/found pets on our page. If you do find a pet's match, or have any questions, message us on Facebook, post a comment on the pet's photo, or email hscott@guilfordcountync.gov to report your findings.

 Together, we can help bring lost pets home!

If your lost and found Facebook group, app, or page is not listed here, please email llee@guilfordcountync.gov to be added to the list!