Report & Search for Lost Pets

When your beloved dog or cat strays from home, it can be a traumatic experience for both of you. In the event that your animal goes missing, the easiest way to find your pet is to make sure they are licensed and micro-chipped. A license is your lost dog's ticket home. An Animal Control Officer will try to contact you from your dog license information to avoid taking your pet to the shelter. If the officer is successful at bringing your pet home, you will be spared the associated impound, transport and board fees. The cost of a one-year Dog License (PDF) is only $12.50 and you will be supplied with a visible license tag your pet can wear affixed to its collar.

Report a Lost Pet

  1. Contact local animal shelters and animal control agencies.
    • File a lost pet report with every shelter within a 50-mile radius of your home and visit the nearest shelters daily, if possible. Provide local shelters with an accurate description and a recent photograph of your pet. You may also complete the Butte County Animal Control Lost Animal Report Form (PDF). Email or fax this form to your local shelter and veterinarian.
  2. 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.
  3. Post notices at grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, traffic intersections, pet supply stores and other locations.
    • Also, place advertisements in newspapers. Include your pet's:
      • Sex
      • Age
      • Weight
      • Breed
      • Color
      • Any special markings
    • View a sample Lost Animal Flyer (PDF).
  4. Search the Internet.
    • For unincorporated areas in Butte County and the city of Oroville, search on the PetHarbor website. To search cities in Butte County, select a shelter from the list below.
  5. Don't give up your search.
    • Animals who have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners. 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 about microchipping.

Search for Lost Pets

Local Shelters

If you've lost your pet, searching the local shelters is your best resource. Every county and city has or contracts with an animal shelter. Because pets can travel or be transported, it is important to contact all animal control agencies and shelters in the area where the pet was lost. Most shelters will record both lost and found animals called in.

Find Local Shelter information in the Resource Directory.

Steps to Pick up Your Animal From a Shelter

  • First, look up the pet's Animal Shelter Number by searching images at the shelter links or call your local animal control agency.
  • Provide rabies vaccination history from your vet; your pet cannot be released until rabies vaccination status is verified. View a list of low-cost vaccination clinics (PDF) and local veterinarians (PDF) in your area.

Search Online

  • NWSPCA
    • Submit a photo of your lost pet and search through photos posted on the site. Located in Oroville, CA.
  • Pet Harbor
    • National adoptable and lost and found database.

PetHarbor