Lost and Found

Lost or Found Report | Lost and Found List
Animal Rescue | Animal Control

How to find a lost pet
Act quickly! Minnesota law requires animals only be held for five days. Contact local animal shelters and animal control agencies. File a lost pet report with every shelter within a 60-mile radius of your home and visit the nearest shelters daily, if possible. If there is no shelter in your community, contact the local police department. Provide these agencies with an accurate description and a recent photograph of your pet. Notify the police if you believe your pet was stolen. Search the neighborhood. Walk or drive through your neighborhood several times each day. Ask neighbors, letter carriers, and delivery people if they have seen your pet. Hand out a recent photograph of your pet and information on how you can be reached if your pet is found. Advertise. Post signs at grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, traffic intersections, and other locations. Place advertisements in newspapers and with radio stations. Include your pet's sex, age, weight, breed, color, and any special markings. When describing your pet, leave out one identifying characteristic and ask the person who finds your pet to describe it. Be wary of pet-recovery scams. When talking to a stranger who claims to have found your pet, ask him to describe the pet thoroughly before you offer any information. If he does not include the identifying characteristic you left out of the advertisements, he may not really have your pet. Be particularly wary of people who insist that you give or wire them money for the return of your pet. Don't give up your search. Animals who have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners. ID A pet—even an indoor pet—has a better chance of being returned if she always wears a collar and an ID tag with your name, address, and telephone number. Ask your local animal shelter or veterinarian if permanent methods of identification (such as microchips) are available in your area.
Websites such as petfinder.com or returnmypet.com are additional resources to consider when searching for your pet.

What to do when you find a stray animal
Be ready to rescue. Think about your safety first then consider the safety of the animal and don’t assume you are dealing with an irresponsible owner. If possible, restrain the animal. Use caution when approaching the animal. When approaching the animal, speak calmly to reassure him. Try to lure an animal into your car with food, close the door, and contact the local police or animal control. If you’re not able to safely restrain the animal, still call the local police or animal control agency. If you are able to to transport the animal, contact your local shelter before bringing the animal. Many areas have animal control responsible for housing of stray animals that is separate from the local animal shelter. Understand the limitations of animal care and control agencies. Before you take an injured animal to a private veterinary hospital for treatment, be willing to assume financial responsibility for the animal before treatment begins.

What to expect when you claim your animal if it is impounded
Provide proof of ownership, veterinary records, bill of sale, and/or photographs. Bring a leash, collar or carrier. There will be a fee. The fee is based on the length of stay and any special medications or treatments that your animal may have been given.