In the state of Florida, it is unlawful to keep a lost or stray pet you found without contacting your county animal shelter. Pets are by law considered personal property in the Sunshine State. If you find a lost one, make sure you take the proper steps to find the original owner. Most lost dogs and cats don't need a new home. Rather, they need assistance getting back home.
With that said, let's look at what to do or who to contact if you find a lost dog or cat in some Florida counties. Remember that your quick action is important in helping reunite lost pets with their owners.
.jpg)
Generally, if you find a lost pet in Florida wearing a license tag, you should use the Pet Data site to find information about the owner to whom the pet is registered. If you find a lost pet in Florida without a license, you should take it to the nearest veterinary office to have it scanned for a microchip. Otherwise, you are required by Florida law to take the lost pet to your County's animal shelter.
Miami-Dade County, FL
If you find a lost pet, be it a dog or cat, in Miami-Dade County, the first legal step to take is to file a report either online or in person at the Miami-Dade Animal Services Pet Adoption and Protection Center located at 3599 NW 79 Avenue, Doral, FL 33122. Except for County holidays, the facility is open seven days a week. You are also legally required to take the found pet to a private veterinarian to have it scanned for a microchip within three days to find out it is registered to an owner.
If the lost pet is wearing a license tag, you should use the Miami-Dade license tag/microchip lookup website to find information about the animal's owner. If the microchip or license tag scan reveals that the found dog or cat is registered to an owner, you are legally required to contact the owner within 24 hours. Meanwhile, you may keep the lost pet in your home while making efforts to find the owner. However, keeping a dog or cat you found in your home without taking the appropriate steps to find a possible owner may result in a civil penalty.
Another legal step to take is posting a clear photo of the found pet in your County's Facebook lost and found pets group to help the owner find his or her lost pet. Here is the Facebook group dedicated to Miami' lost and found pets. Furthermore, you can also upload a photo of the found pet to Petco Love Lost, a platform that helps reunite lost pets with their families.
After complying with all the above legal steps, you need to wait for three days to give a possible owner the chance or time to claim their pet. If no owner shows up after the three-day waiting period, you are free to adopt the pet. To do so, you need to let the Animal Services Pet Adoption and Protection Center know in the comments section of the form that you want to adopt and keep the pet if an owner is not found.
Hillsborough County, FL
If you found a lost pet wearing a license tag in Hillsborough County, FL, the first thing to do is use the County's Pet Tag Lookup tool to help identify the owner. If not, you are required by law to take the pet to the nearest veterinary office to have it scanned for a microchip. If the microchip scan shows that the pet is registered to an owner, you can still use the Pet Tag Lookup tool to find the lost pet's owner information.
If none of the above steps worked, you are to take the lost pet to the Pet Resource Center at 440 N Falkenburg Rd, Tampa, FL 33619. Another thing to do is visit the Hillsborough County Facebook page and group for lost and found pets. On the Facebook page, you will find postings from people whose pets are missing. In the Facebook group, you will find postings from people who have found a pet or are missing a pet.
For more information on what to do, you should contact Pet Resources at (813) 744-5660.
Pinellas County, FL
If you find a lost dog or cat in Pinellas County, you should visit the Petco Lost Love website to file a report by uploading a picture of the pet as well as the found location. From there, the website will automatically match that photo with photos of pets that have been reported missing. Another option is to contact (727) 582-2600 and complete a Found Report.
You should also keep an eye out for Lost Pet flyers while driving around the neighborhood, and talking to neighbors to see if anyone is missing their pet. If you cannot find the owner, you are required to take the lost pet to the shelter at 12450 Ulmerton Road, Largo, 33774 to have it scanned for a microchip.
Another reasonable attempt to locate a lost pet’s owner is by visiting the Pinellas County Facebook group for lost and found pets. Once you join the group, you will find postings from people who are missing a pet as well as people who have found a lost pet. There, you might find the pet's owner looking for his or her pet. Otherwise, you should post a picture of the pet you found along with information on how an owner may contact you.
.jpg)
