Report a Lost or Found Cat or Dog
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If you found a Cat or Dog
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If you find a pet, complete a Lost/Found report for Polk County Animal Control. It is also a good idea to upload it to Lost Pets of Polk.
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If you lost a Cat or Dog
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Losing your pet is a scary time. If you're in Polk County, we recommend you complete a Lost/Found report for Polk County Animal Control. Also, search for your missing pet on Lost Pets of Polk.
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Next, visit every shelter!
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It is important to visit all animal shelters near you because pets can wander far from home. In Florida, animal control agencies are responsible for stray animals, so make sure to contact them. You can download a list of local pet adoption organizations here. (This listing is provided for your convenience only and does not constitute endorsement or affiliation with SPCA Florida. We strive to keep the list updated, but individual organizations may have changed their contact information.)
Act Fast
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Post a flyer in the area where you lost your pet. Notify friends and neighbors your pet is lost.
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Cats are often hiding. Get down on their level and look for potential hiding spots where they can be.
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Personally check your local animal control agency and shelters.
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Use social media to get the word out. In Polk County, you can post to Lost and Found pets and Polk Pet Page. SPCA Florida is not associated with these pages, but they are useful resources.
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Contact veterinary practices in your area. They may have a Lost and Found bulletin board in their offices, and if someone found your pet they may take it there to scan for a microchip.
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Read the "found" ads and post a "lost" ad in newspapers and online.
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Don't give up!
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Why do pets stray?
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Many pets are lost after major holidays. They flee from perceived dangers such as fireworks or Halloween costumes.
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Another common reason is that they aren't spayed/neutered and looking for a mate. Spaying and neutering decreases the desire to roam. Call SPCA Florida's Medical Center at 863-646-7722 to schedule an appointment.
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Make sure you can find your pet if they're lost
Make sure...
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Your cat or dog wears a current rabies tag, license tag, and an ID tag with your current address and phone numbers.
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Your current address and phone numbers are on file with the veterinarian who provided your pet's most recent vaccinations.
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Your contact information is current with the registry for your pet's microchip.
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If your pet isn't microchipped...
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...you can have it done at SPCA Florida's Medical Center!
The microchip is a permanent identification implant, about the size of a grain of rice. It is inserted under the pet's skin and contains a number that can be read with a special scanner. This number is filed with a national registry and when a shelter or veterinary practice scans the chip, they contact the national registry to find out what information is connected to the pet's chip number.
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Update your information when it changes!
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The microchip registries aren't updated automatically when someone moves or changes a phone number, so you need to contact them when your information changes.
24PetWatch
1-866-597-2424
http://24petwatch.com/
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Home Again Microchips
1-888-HOMEAGAIN (1-888-466-3242)
http://public.homeagain.com/
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Pet Link (DataMars & resQ by Bayer chips)
1-877-738-5465
http://www.petlink.net/us
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Microchip Lookup Tool
http://www.petmicrochiplookup.org/