I Found a Roaming Pet

Have you found a lost dog, cat or other pet? Here’s what to do.

Check For a Microchip

If you’ve found a lost dog or cat without ID, first check if it’s microchipped. To do this, you can:

  • Contact your closest veterinarian and ask if they have a scanner.
  • Take the pet to one of our microchip checkpoint partners across Mecklenburg County.
  • Call 311 to request an officer come to your home to scan the lost pet for a microchip.

 

Report the Lost Pet to Animal Care & Control

If the lost pet doesn’t have ID or a microchip, you have three options:

Option 1: Temporarily keep the pet.
Keep and care for the pet while you actively look for its owner. We highly encourage this option. All we require is that you fill out a Found Pet Report or call 311 to make a report. Be sure to post the pet on all your social media channels, including Next Door. Active Facebook groups to post in:

 

petco love lost reuniting pets

Also be sure to file a Petco Love Lost report

If the pet has not been reunited with its owner after 14 days, you can:
  • Continue to keep and care for it.
  • Re-home it with someone you know.
  • Contact Humane Society of Charlotte and / or other rescue organizations for help finding the pet a forever home.
  • Go to our rehoming your pet page to get loads more resources to help re-home on your own.
  • As a last resort, bring the pet to the shelter where we’ll do everything we can to reunite the pet with its people or place it in a new home.
NOTE: Original owners retain the right to reclaim their pets from new owners, even if their attempt to reunite with their pet occurs after 14 days. Any disputes over ownership between a new and original owner is a civil matter to be settled legally.

 

Found a Cat or Kittens? Read Before Bringing Them In

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control (ACC) is currently accepting cats and kittens based on their age, health and safety. Finding a roaming cat does not automatically mean the cat needs to come to the shelter or qualifies for officer pickup. Please review the guidelines below before bringing in a cat or requesting assistance.

Cats and Kittens We Can Accept

  • Kittens ages 6 weeks to 4 months, with or without their mother.

  • Kittens ages 0–6 weeks whose mother is known to be missing or gone.

  • Cats and kittens of any age who are in immediate danger.

  • Cats and kittens of any age who are sick or injured.

  • Mother cats with kittens ages 0–6 weeks.

  • Pregnant cats.

Cats We Are Not Accepting at This Time

  • Healthy cats older than 4 months.

  • Healthy feral cats older than 4 months, including cats being trapped. Feral cats are not socialized to people and cannot be safely handled.

The shelter environment can cause significant stress for feral cats, increasing their risk of illness. These cats generally cannot be placed through traditional adoption and are better supported through community cat programs.

Requesting Officer Assistance

The cat intake guidelines above also apply when requesting officer assistance. Healthy cats older than 4 months, including healthy feral cats, are not currently being accepted for shelter intake through officer pickup.

If a cat or kitten is sick, injured or in immediate danger, contact ACC and describe the situation so staff can determine the appropriate response.

Found Kittens?

Not sure how old they are? Use the Kitten Lady’s kitten aging chart, which shows kittens from newborn to 8 weeks old.

Kittens younger than 6 weeks may still depend on their mother. Finding kittens alone does not necessarily mean their mother is missing. Before moving them, determine whether their mother is returning, unless the kittens are sick, injured or in immediate danger.

Community Cat and Spay/Neuter Resources

Trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR), also called trap-neuter-return (TNR), helps manage community cat populations through sterilization and return to their outdoor homes.

Humane Society of Charlotte: Offers low-cost TNR services through its clinics. Learn more about Charlotte Community Cat Services. 

Friends of Feral Felines: Provides TNR support for Mecklenburg County residents willing to participate in caring for neighborhood cats. The organization does not set traps to remove cats from properties. To request assistance, complete its community cat assistance form.

Additional local resources:

National resources and tips:

To learn about the differences between socialized, community and feral cats, explore the Alley Cat Allies Cat Socialization Continuum Guide.

 

What to Know About Keeping a Found Pet

If you choose to keep a lost pet while searching for its owner, please be advised of Chapter 3, Article III,, Section 3-72 (Harboring Stray Animals) of the City of Charlotte’s Code of Ordinances:

It shall be unlawful for any person, without the actual consent of the owner*, to harbor**, feed, keep in possession by confinement or otherwise have any animal which does not belong to him, unless he has, within 24 hours of the time the animal came into his possession, notified Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Care & Control.

*OWNER: Any person owning, keeping, having charge of sheltering, feeding, harboring or taking care of any pet for 14 or more consecutive days, unless the pet is boarded for a fee.

**HARBOR: To feed or shelter an animal for 14 or more consecutive days, unless the pet is boarded for a fee.
Option 2: Bring the pet to the shelter
If you can’t keep the lost pet in your home, bring it to Animal Care & Control at 8315 Byrum Dr. Charlotte NC 28217. The shelter is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Option 3: Request an animal control officer pick up the pet
Finally, you can call 311 to request an officer come to your home to pick up the lost pet.

 

Search For a Lost Pet

Are you searching for your lost dog, cat or other pet? Visit our Lost Pets page.
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