Lost and Found Animals
Lost Pet Resources
When your beloved dog or cat strays from home, it can be a traumatic experience for both of you. Here are some tips that we hope will help you find your pet.
What to do if you have lost a pet?
- Fill out the lost pet form on the Pope Memorial Humane Society website. Please include a current photo of your lost pet.
- Contact your local animal control officer.
- Notify the police if you believe your pet was stolen.
- 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 they can reach you if your pet is seen or found.
- There are multiple resources online, including but not limited to Maine Lost Dog Recovery and Maine Lost Cat Recovery; please contact them and provide as much information as possible.
- 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 they are microchipped and always wears a collar and an ID tag with your name, address, and telephone number. Pope Memorial Humane Society provides microchipping by appointment for a one-time fee of $25.
- If your animal has been brought to PMHS as a stray, please call the shelter at (207) 594-2200 to arrange pick-up. Please be prepared with your state ID or Driver’s License and proof of ownership like vet records or photos.
- Pope Memorial Humane Society charges a fee of $20 per day that your animal spends with us; this is to help cover the cost of food, shelter, and care provided to your animal while they have been with us. Every unlicensed dog that comes into PMHS as a stray will be issued a ten-day temporary license.
- Different cities and towns may also charge a fee that is collected at the time your pet is reclaimed.
What to do if you have found an animal/pet?
If you have found a stray animal, the best thing to do is contact your local animal control officer, town office, or police department. You are also welcome to contact PMHS at (207) 594-2200. We would be happy to help you figure out the next step.
- Please call before bringing the animal anywhere. Multiple communities contract with Pope Memorial Humane Society as their stray holding facility (see list below*), and we want to ensure you are bringing the animal to the right place. Pope Memorial Humane Society is not able to go out into the community to retrieve stray animals.
- If you have found a stray animal and are not sure who your animal control officer is, please use the Maine.gov website. You can also call your town office or local law enforcement if you observe a stray animal and need assistance.
* Communities we serve: Rockland, Thomaston, Warren, Owls Head, St. George, Port Clyde, Martinsville and Tenants Harbor, South Thomaston, Spruce Head, Union, Cushing, Matinicus, North Haven, Vinalhaven, Morrill, Washington, Knox, Friendship, and Dixmont.