When a pet gets lost it is a frightening experience. We have put together this section on the web site to help reunite owners with their lost pets as quickly as possible.

The Toledo Animal Shelter Association traditionally takes in animals that are being surrendered by owners who can no longer keep them. The Lucas County Dog Warden traditionally receives stray dogs picked up by either an Animal Control Officer or any private citizen.

Often, a family will shelter a lost pet while trying to find the rightful owner. They should make every reasonable attempt to locate the owner, which would include calling the local shelters and the Lucas County Dog Warden. The Shelter keeps lost and found reports and attempts to match these up with owners as soon as possible on a daily basis.

When you contact us regarding your lost or found pet, please be ready to provide a detailed description of the pet and its last known location or where you found the animal. Please include a photo in jpg format so that we can download it to our website.

After you contact us, there are still several other things you should do:

• We encourage you to come to the shelter and ask to personally look at the cats brought in as "strays" or visit the Lucas County Dog Warden for dogs brought in as “strays”. This is particularly important if your pet is a mixed breed, because descriptions of the actual breed types can vary widely from one person to the next!
• Advertise in the paper for your lost or found pet.
• A picture of your pet along with a description is usually helpful when posting notices. Always get permission before posting notices.
• You might try posting your pet's picture at all major intersections near the area where it was lost. Also post these notices at nearby markets, pet supply stores, or any other place a person sheltering your pet might need to go for supplies.
• Advertise at all nearby Veterinary clinics. Keep in mind that if your pet has been injured, a "Good Samaritan" will often take it to the nearest Vet. (Most clinics have a special board for lost and found notices.) Again, including a picture with the description is usually helpful.
• If you are near the Lucas County border, call and file a lost or found report in the neighboring shelters or Animal Control. A list of area facilities can be found on our Additional Resources Page.

Finally, if you do get your pet back, please be a responsible pet owner. Always have a collar & tag on your pet and obey leash laws! We also recommend having your pet microchipped as a permanent identification. (Even collars and tags can occasionally be lost while your pet is loose!) A microchip kept current with your information is the only fail proof way for us to make sure your pet makes his or her way home.