Gandalf

City of Alameda Lost & Found Pets

We know how traumatic it can be to have your pet become lost. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to help bring your furry family member back home as quickly as possible. See below for tips, and fill out a lost pet report on the the Petco Love Lost website. 

If you have found a lost or abandoned pet, please read our tips and fill a found pet report on the Petco Love Lost webiste.

Tips for finding a lost pet

1. Check our Adoptable Animals page and the FAAS Facebook page to see if FAAS already has your pet. If you recognize your pet, call FAAS at (510) 337-8565 to make an appointment. Be sure to bring proof of ownership with you (pet license, veterinarian records, photos of you with your pet, a copy of your adoption agreement, etc.).

2. Send FAAS a LOST ANIMAL REPORT through the Petco Love Lost website.

3. If your pet is microchipped, confirm with the microchip company that your contact information is current.

4. Contact Bay Area animal shelters to see if your pet was brought in as a stray. For a list of shelters and rescues in the San Francisco Bay Area, click here. 

5. Create a flyer to post in your neighborhood and email to neighboring shelters, rescues, veterinarians, groomers, pet supply stores and other pet-related businesses. Some of the services listed below offer flyer templates and distribution assistance.

6. Visit online services that help people reunite with lost pets:

  • PetHarbor – A national online database of lost, found, and adoptable pets.
  • Petco Love Lost – Uses pet facial recognition system to identify matches in area shelters.
  • Lost My Doggie – Sends free alerts on your behalf to shelters, flyer templates.
  • Lost My Kitty – Sends free alerts on your behalf to shelters, flyer templates.
  • Pawboost – Sends free alerts to their subscribers via text, and posts to Facebook.
  • Missing Animal Response Network – Provides information, tips, and lost pet recovery training.

7. Post notices on Facebook, Craigslist (East Bay Lost & Found), and other social media sites. When posting, always include a photo and ask people to share your post (you might need to change privacy settings on your post to “public” to enable sharing). Local groups such as Nextdoor, Alameda Lost Pet Alert, Alameda Peeps, and Oakland Lost and Found Pets will help spread the word.

8. Don’t give up! Lost pets have been found at shelters weeks, even months after they went missing, and were happily reunited with their families.

9. When you find your pet, please remove the flyers and post updates to social media. If your pet was not microchipped, have it done! *

* FAAS microchips pets of Alameda residents for just $22. Appointments are required. Please call (510) 337-8565 to schedule an appointment.

Found a pet?

Kittens

I Found Kittens! Now What?

Adult Cats

While we encourage all members of the public and adopters to keep their cats indoors, there is still a large population of owned cats allowed to go outdoors. Cats are legally allowed to roam free in the City of Alameda.

Does the cat have a collar, harness, or other indicator of ownership? Have you seen this cat in the neighborhood before?

If yes, please check the collar and tags to see if you can call the owner. Most indoor-outdoor cats have a territory of 0.01 miles so they might not be far from home. If the cat is not in distress, appears well groomed, and is in a safe location, it is likely fine and hanging out in its neighborhood. Please leave it there!

If the cat is not in distress, in a safe location, and well-kempt overall, but seems fearful and avoids contact, hides or darts upon your approach and has a tipped ear, it might be feral and should be left alone. For more information on distinguishing feral cats from stray cats, please visit https://www.alleycat.org/resources/feral-and-stray-cats-an-important-difference/

Does the cat appear to be in distress (yowling, anxious, unkempt, injured or ill)?

If so and the cat allows you to handle it, it is likely owned and lost. If you are unable to find the owner through social media (see below under Dogs), please call FAAS between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., 7 days a week, at 510-337-8565 for instructions. After hours, please call the Alameda Police Department non-emergency line at 510-337-8340.

Dogs

Before bringing a found dog to the shelter, please attempt to locate the owner using the following steps:

If you are unable to find the owner, please call FAAS between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m., 7 days a week, at 510-337-8565 for instructions, and fill out a lost pet report at the Petco Love Lost website . After hours, please call the Alameda Police Department non-emergency line at 510-337-8340.

What happens next?

When lost dogs, cats and other companion animals (such as pet rabbits) are brought to FAAS, we scan for a microchip and check our records of lost pets. Finders might be allowed to foster the lost pet if they desire, and if the owners are not found, qualified finders are the first allowed to adopt.