It's estimated that one in three pets will get lost at some point in their lifetimes.  Tragically, less than 20% of lost pets will ever be reunited with their guardians if they have no identification to speak for them.  Before the unexpected happens, the Michigan Humane Society recommends that all dogs and cats have two points of protection: 1. A collar with visible identification in the form of a current ID tag as well as a license tag as required in your community, and 2. A microchip, which provides a safe, effective and permanent form of ID should your pet's collar or tag fall off -- or get removed.  If your address or contact information changes, remember to update your pet's tag and microchip; otherwise, they become useless.  Contact an MHS veterinary center about microchipping your pet!

If your pet is missing, it's up to you to aggressively search for him or her.  State of Michigan law requires that animal shelters hold stray pets for 4 days if they have no form of identification or 7 days if they do have some form of identification -- such as a microchip, tattoo or license / ID tags. 

The Michigan Humane Society cares for an estimated 15,000 stray animals annually at our three centers, and requires that you visit in person to look for your lost pet; we are unable to take lost/found pet information by phone or email.

	Call your local animal control or police to alert them of your missing pet and inquire if any stray animals have been picked up matching your pet's description.  Leave your contact information.
	Take a walk.  Sweep the area on foot that your pet was last seen.  Be sure to talk to neighboors, mail carriers or others working in the area about your lost pet. Take at least one walk daily.
	Post flyers.  Download a template and create a flyer for your lost pet that you can post, with permission, in local businesses and municipalities.  You will need a clear, recent photo of your pet. Include your phone number(s).  Adding a reward can be helpful.
	Leave food and water and something familiar (such as a blanket, bed or favorite toy) outside near your door. Animals may return on their own when no one is home, and having food, water and something familiar may encourage them to stay in the area.
	Visit in person your local animal shelters, daily. There are most likely several facilities in your area that could have your pet.  Start with the facility that is legally responsible for holding strays in your area (usually, but not always, this is an animal control shelter). Then visit other nearby facilities as well.
	Post your information online using our online Lost/Found tool, dubbed the ePole. You can upload a photo and provide the location of where your pet was last seen. If you have found a lost pet, you can post this information in our "Found" pet section. Remember to include your  contact information. Note: MHS cannot match postings with animals cared for within its facilities.

More tips for finding a lost pet...

In most parts of Oakland County your first call should be to Oakland County Animal Control at 248-391-4100.  In some areas, you should call additional facilities.

In Pontiac you should also call Pontiac Animal Control at 248-758-3360. Michigan Animal Rescue League (MARL) in Pontiac also takes in strays and can be reached at 248-355-9290.  In Royal Oak call 248-546-6304. In Troy call 248-542-3477. If your pet becomes lost in Macomb County, call 586-469-5115.

LOST PET FLYERS/POSTERS 

Download a Flyer Template (.doc) Use the template to make up flyers.  The flyers should include a large, clear,  recent photo of the lost animal, a complete description and the area where he was lost or last seen.  Don't forget to include your telephone numbers.  Consider offering a reward. For safety purposes do not give your address or full name on the poster.

NEWSPAPERS
File a lost report with your local paper and check the FOUND reports in the paper daily. Many local newspapers will run lost pet ads for free.  Place an ad giving a full description of your pet, the area in which he was last seen, and your telephone numbers.

LOCAL VETERINARY OFFICES
In addition to hanging posters, call and speak to the receptionist. Ask if they have received any animals matching your pet's description.

WHEN WALKING
Search your neighborhood every day, especially in the early morning and evening when cats are most active. Call your pet's name. Be sure to stop often, be quiet, and listen!  Bring a flashlight for those dark places where an animal may hide.

SEARCH THOUROUGHLY
Your pet might be on your own property! Cats especially can get stuck in the most peculiar places. A lot of cats get stuck in garages, sheds, crawl spaces. Think creatively, your lost pet probably did!

LURE HIM/HER HOME
Familiar smells can be helpful. Put something that smells like you on your porch or somewhere the lost pet may smell it. You can put food out, but remember, it may attract uninvited guests such as raccoons and skunks.

OTHER AGENCIES
To conduct a thorough search, also contact animal control and animal welfare agencies in neighboring counties (see Helpful Phone Numbers).

WHEN YOU FIND YOUR ANIMAL
Please take down all posters you have hung. To keep the community interested in helping, it is important that only true "lost" flyers are posted. If your animal escaped from your yard, check your fence thoroughly. Repair any holes and don't forget to look up - did your pet find a way to climb over?

If your pet wasn't wearing a collar and ID tag before, immediately purchase a properly fitting collar with identification tags.  Additionally, consider permanent, safe and effective identification such as a microchip (contact MHS to ask about our microchipping services).  Always keep your pet's identification up-to-date: this saves lives!

If your dog or cat is not spayed/neutered, have it done immediately.  This will curb your pet's desire to roam, and will prevent the birth of generations of additional homeless animals.

OUR WEBSITE
Stray animals arrive at MHS daily.  Because of the volume of animals coming through the doors, because many pets look alike, and because we do not want to encourage unethical people claiming other peoples' lost pets as their own, we have opted not to place stray animals on our website.  Please read all the other details on this page, to find out the best ways to locate your lost pet.

LOST & FOUND PET CONTACT INFO BY CITY
The following list provides the names and phone numbers of many animal shelters and animal control facitilies in the greater tri-county area. If you do not see your city or township listed, call your local police or sheriff's department for more information.

Please Note: MHS requires that you search for your lost pet in person. We cannot accept lost/found pet information by phone or email. 

Addison (517) 547-7581
Allen Park (313) 928-4608
Ann Arbor Animal Control (734) 994-2911 or 994-2865
Ann Arbor (Humane Society of Huron Valley) (734) 662-5585
Auburn Hills (248) 391-4103
Avon Township (248) 391-4103
Belleville (734) 699-2395
Berkley (248) 541-9000
Beverly Hills (248) 540-3420
Bingham (248) 540-3420
Birmingham (248) 644-4990
Bloomfield Township (248) 433-7757
Brandon Township (248) 391-4103
Brighton (517) 546-2154
Brownstown Township Animal Shelter (734) 675-4008 or (734) 675-1300
Canton (734) 397-3000
Centerline (586) 757-2203
Clawson (248) 435-5000
Clinton County (989)224-5116
Clinton Township (586) 493-7800
Commerce Township (248) 391-4103
Davisburg (248) 391-4103
Dearborn Animal Shelter (313) 943-2077
Dearborn Heights (313) 277-7389
Detroit Animal Control (313) 224-7128
Detroit (Michigan Humane Society) (313) 872-3400
Eastpointe (586) 445-5100
Eaton County (Charlotte Area) (517) 543-5755
Eaton County (Outside Charlotte Area) (517) 482-8306
Ecorse (313) 381-0900
Farmington (248) 474-4700
Farmington Hills (248) 871-2700
Ferndale (248) 546-2394 or (248) 546-2393
Flat Rock (734) 782-0267 or (734) 782-2496
Flint (810) 732-1660
Franklin (248) 626-9672
Garden City (734) 525-8088
Genesee County Animal Control (810) 732-1660
Genesee County Humane Society (810) 744-0511
Gibraltar (734) 676-1055
Great Lakes Animal Control (586) 465-4557
Grosse Pointe (313) 886-3200
Grosse Pointe Farms (313) 885-2100
Grosse Pointe Park (313) 822-7400
Grosse Pointe Woods (313) 343-2410
Grosse Pointe Shores (313) 881-6565
Grosse Ile Animal Control (734) 676-7100
Groveland Township (248) 391-4103
Hamtramck (313) 876-7792
Harper Woods (313) 343-2530
Hazel Park (248) 546-2394
Highland Park (313) 252-0050
Holly (248) 634-8221
Huntington Woods (248) 541-1180
Huron Township (734) 753-4064
Huron Valley (Humane Society of Huron Valley) (734) 662-5585
Independence Township (248) 391-4103
Ingham County (517) 676-8370
Inkster (313) 563-9850
Lake Orion (248) 391-4103
Lapeer (810) 667-0236
Lathrup Village (248) 557-3600, press "0" and leave a message
Leonard (248) 391-4103
Lincoln Park (313) 381-1800
Livingston County (517) 546-2154
Livonia (734) 466-2655
Lyon Township (248) 391-4103
Macomb County Animal Shelter and Animal Control (586) 469-5115
Macomb County Humane Society (586) 731-9210
Madison Heights (248) 837-2784
Melvindale (313) 943-2077 or (313) 429-1040
Michigan Animal Rescue League (Pontiac) (248) 335-9290
Michigan Anti-Cruelty Society (Detroit) (313) 891-1088
Michigan Humane Society (Detroit) (313) 872-3400
Michigan Humane Society (Rochester Hills) (248) 852-7420
MHS-Berman Center for Animal Care (Westland) (734) 721-7300
Milford (248) 684-1815
Monroe County Sheriff's Office and Animal Control Division (734) 240-3125
Monroe County Humane Society (734) 243-3669
Mount Clemens (586) 469-6860
New Baltimore (586) 725-2181
New Boston (734) 753-4400
Northville (248) 349-1234 or (248) 349-9400
Novi (248) 391-4103
Oak Park Animal Control (248)691-7450
Oakland County Animal Control (248) 391-4103
Orion Township (248) 391-4103
Pleasant Ridge (248) 543-7900 or (248) 541-2900
Plymouth (734) 453-1234
Pontiac (248) 758-3360
Port Huron (810) 984-8415
Redford (313) 387-2500
Riverview (734) 281-4217
River Rouge (313) 842-8700
Rochester (248) 651-9621
Rochester Hills (Michigan Humane Society) (248) 852-7420
Rockwood (734) 379-5323
Romulus (734) 942-7591
Roseville (586) 775-2100
Royal Oak (248) 246-3500 or (248) 546-6304
Royal Oak Township (248) 547-9808
Saint Clair County (810) 984-3155
Saint Clair County Humane Society (810) 987-4357
Saint Clair Shores (586) 445-5300
Saint John's County (989) 224-5116
Sanilac County (810) 648-4831
Southfield (248) 796-5410
Southgate (734) 246-1328
South Lyon (248) 437-1773
Sterling Heights (586) 446-2800
Sumpter Township Animal Shelter (734) 461-4833
Taylor (734) 374-1354
Trenton (734) 692-7727
Troy (248) 524-3477
Van Buren Township (734) 699-8930
Warren (586) 574-4700
Washtenaw County (734) 662-5585
Waterford (248) 391-4103
Wayne (City of) (734) 721-1643
Westland (734) 722-9600
Westland (MHS Berman Center for Animal Care) (734) 721-7300
Woodhaven (734) 676-7337
Wyandotte Animal Control Voicemail (734) 324-4405
"WAG" (Wyandotte Animal Group) (734) 782-5768
Ypsilanti (734) 483-9510

ID tags are your companion animal's ticket home should he slip out of the house or yard.  Dogs and cats should wear a non-choke type collar and ID tags at all times. In addition, microchips or tattoos can provide extra protection should he slip out of his collar.

The Michigan Humane Society offers microchipping through a regular veterinary appointment or at a reduced fee at the time of adoption from one of our three locations.