PAWP | Pet Welfare Guidance
Lost, found or stolen pets
Whether your companion animal is missing, you’ve found an animal who may be lost, or you suspect your pet has been stolen, knowing what to do can make an important difference.
PAWP — The People & Animal Welfare Project — brings together practical information, official reporting routes and animal welfare resources to help people respond safely and responsibly.
This guide covers dogs, cats and other companion animals. Reporting responsibilities differ depending on the species and where you live in the UK.
If an animal is seriously injured, trapped, on a dangerous road or presenting an immediate risk, see our emergency guidance .
If your companion animal is missing
My pet is missing
Begin searching and reporting your pet as soon as possible. Early action can help relevant organisations recognise your animal if they are found.
The most appropriate search methods depend on whether you have lost a dog, cat or another companion animal.
Take practical steps and keep information organised
It can be extremely distressing when a pet disappears. Working through a clear set of actions can help you prioritise searching, reporting and follow-up.
Search the immediate area
Begin where your pet was last seen and check likely hiding places, escape routes and nearby locations.
- Check your home, garden and surrounding buildings.
- Ask neighbours to inspect sheds, garages and outbuildings.
- Search carefully around places your pet knows.
- Take photographs and familiar items where appropriate.
- Ask someone to remain at home if your pet might return.
- Record any reliable sightings.
For cats: Frightened cats may hide quietly nearby. Check enclosed spaces and sheltered areas thoroughly.
For dogs: Avoid chasing a frightened dog who is moving away. Seek experienced lost-dog recovery advice if necessary.
Notify relevant organisations
Report your missing pet to organisations likely to receive information about found animals.
- Nearby veterinary practices
- Local animal rescue organisations
- Your pet’s microchip database, if applicable
- Relevant local lost-pet networks
- Species-specific rescue and welfare organisations
- The council dog warden service, for missing dogs
Keep a list of organisations contacted, along with dates and any follow-up actions.
Update your pet’s microchip record
If your pet is microchipped, contact the database holding the registration and ask how to flag the animal as missing.
Check that the following are accurate:
- Your telephone number
- Your home address
- Your email address
- Emergency contact details
Do not publish your pet’s full microchip number on social media.
Create a clear missing-pet appeal
Share accurate information with relevant local groups, veterinary practices and lost-animal networks.
- A clear recent photograph
- Your pet’s name and species
- Breed or type, where relevant
- Colour, size and distinctive markings
- Date and location last seen
- Relevant behaviour or handling warnings
- A safe method of contacting you
Avoid publishing your home address, full microchip number or unnecessary personal information.
Ask people to report sightings safely
Well-intentioned attempts to catch frightened animals can sometimes make the situation more dangerous.
Ask people who see your pet to:
- Record the time and exact location.
- Take a photograph from a safe distance if possible.
- Avoid chasing, cornering or frightening the animal.
- Report the sighting promptly.
- Follow suitable species-specific recovery guidance.
Keep searching and updating reports
Companion animals may be reunited with their families after days, weeks or longer. Continue following up on reliable information.
- Check relevant lost-pet listings regularly.
- Follow up with nearby veterinary practices.
- Verify sightings where possible.
- Update notices when new information emerges.
- Tell organisations when your pet has been found.
Protect yourself
Be alert to false sightings and recovery scams
People searching for missing animals can be targeted by fraudsters claiming to have found their pet.
Ask for evidence
Request a recent photograph or identifying information that was not included in public appeals.
Be cautious about payment requests
Do not send money, vouchers or sensitive financial details to someone who has not provided convincing evidence.
Do not attempt unsafe recovery
If you suspect theft, threats or criminal activity, contact the police rather than attempting to confront someone yourself.
If you have found an animal
I’ve found a pet who may be lost
A wandering dog, unfamiliar cat or escaped companion animal may be frightened, injured or disorientated.
Prioritise safety and consider the animal’s species before attempting to handle or contain them.
Do not put yourself or the animal at risk
Do not chase, corner or attempt to handle an animal who is aggressive, severely frightened or in a dangerous location.
Contact the relevant authority, animal welfare organisation or veterinary service for guidance.
Assess the situation safely
Observe the animal before deciding whether intervention is appropriate.
- Keep children and other animals away.
- Avoid sudden movements and loud noises.
- Do not chase or corner the animal.
- Look for signs of injury or distress.
- Seek professional guidance if handling is unsafe.
A healthy cat outdoors is not necessarily lost. Many cats roam freely and return home independently.
Look for identification
If it is safe, check for identification such as a collar tag or other contact details.
Do not attempt dangerous restraint or handling to inspect the animal.
A veterinary practice or suitable animal welfare organisation may be able to advise about microchip scanning and tracing a registered keeper.
Consider appropriate temporary safety
If the animal needs to be contained temporarily and you can do so safely, use a species-appropriate environment.
- Keep them separate from your own pets.
- Provide fresh water where appropriate.
- Prevent escape or further injury.
- Avoid unnecessary handling.
- Do not administer medication.
- Seek professional advice about care requirements.
Do not attempt to contain unfamiliar wildlife as though it were a domestic companion animal.
Follow the correct reporting route
The appropriate reporting process depends on the animal’s species.
Found dogs: Contact the relevant local council or statutory stray-dog service and follow the official reporting procedure.
Found cats: Contact a local veterinary practice, cat rescue or appropriate animal welfare organisation for advice. Consider whether the cat may simply be roaming.
Other companion animals: Seek advice from an appropriate species-specific rescue, veterinary practice or animal welfare service.
Ask about microchip scanning
A registered microchip may help identify the animal’s keeper.
Council dog wardens, veterinary practices and some rescue organisations may have access to appropriate scanners.
Contact the service before travelling. Not every veterinary practice can house or accept a found animal.
Share information responsibly
Carefully sharing information locally may help identify the animal’s owner.
Avoid publishing every identifying feature, and verify ownership claims.
- Ask for photographs taken before the animal was lost.
- Request relevant veterinary or microchip evidence.
- Check undisclosed markings or identifying characteristics.
- Use appropriate official reporting and reunion procedures.
Do not hand an animal to someone based solely on a social media claim.
Can I keep an animal that I have found?
Finding an animal does not automatically make you its legal owner.
For stray dogs, specific statutory reporting and holding arrangements apply.
Different rules and practical processes may apply to cats and other companion animals.
Do not assume an animal has been abandoned, sell them or arrange private rehoming without taking appropriate steps to identify the owner and establish the lawful position.
Official reporting and advice
Where to report a lost or found pet
Official procedures depend on the species and UK nation. The statutory dog warden system is specifically for dogs, not every companion animal.
England and Wales | Dogs
Local council stray-dog service
Local authorities are responsible for statutory stray-dog arrangements. Use the official GOV.UK reporting services.
Scotland | Dogs
Report through your local council
Scotland has official guidance for reporting stray or abandoned dogs.
Northern Ireland | Dogs
Contact the district council dog warden
District councils manage dog control and stray-dog arrangements in Northern Ireland.
UK | Cats
Cat-specific lost and found guidance
Cats Protection provides practical guidance about missing cats, found cats and appropriate steps to locate an owner.
A cat outdoors may not be lost. Consider the circumstances and seek suitable advice.
UK | Other companion animals
Species-specific rescue and veterinary advice
For missing or found rabbits, birds, guinea pigs and other pets, contact appropriate local rescue organisations or veterinary practices.
Reporting routes may differ for livestock, protected species and wildlife.
If theft is suspected
I think my pet has been stolen
If you have reason to believe your companion animal has been deliberately taken or unlawfully retained, report the incident to the police.
Report suspected theft to the police
Call 101 or use your local police force’s online reporting service.
Call 999 if a crime is happening now, someone is in immediate danger or urgent police attendance is required.
Ask for a crime reference number and keep a record of your report.
Check whether the disappearance has another explanation
Consider whether your pet could have escaped, wandered away or been collected by someone with permission.
If theft remains a reasonable concern, report it promptly. You do not need to conduct your own investigation first.
Provide the police with relevant information
- Recent photographs of your pet
- Species, breed or type and distinguishing features
- Microchip details, if applicable
- Time and location last seen
- Details of suspicious people or vehicles
- Witness information
- Relevant messages, threats or disputes
- Available CCTV or doorbell footage
Notify the microchip database
If your pet is microchipped, contact the registered database and ask whether the record can be marked as stolen.
Confirm your contact information is accurate and ask about any suspicious attempt to change keeper details.
Preserve evidence
Keep original evidence wherever possible.
- Save CCTV and doorbell footage promptly.
- Screenshot suspicious messages and advertisements.
- Record relevant account names and telephone numbers.
- Make notes of witness accounts.
- Preserve potentially important information for the police.
Notify relevant recovery networks
Depending on your pet’s species, contact suitable local recovery groups, veterinary practices, rescues and animal welfare organisations.
DogLost may be useful for dogs. Cat-specific and other animal rescue networks may be more appropriate for other species.
Avoid publishing sensitive information that could compromise an investigation.
Do not put yourself at risk
If you see an online advert or receive information that may relate to your pet, preserve the evidence and notify the police.
Do not threaten or confront suspected offenders, arrange unsafe meetings or attempt recovery by force.
Emergency situations
An animal is injured, trapped or in immediate danger
Never enter moving traffic, railway land, water, unstable ground or another dangerous environment to attempt an animal rescue.
Immediate danger to people
Call 999 where there is an immediate threat to life or serious danger requiring emergency service assistance.
Animal on a motorway or high-speed road
Do not stop in an unsafe location or enter the carriageway.
Contact the police or appropriate road authority and provide the road name, direction and location.
Seriously injured or unwell animal
Contact an emergency veterinary practice for immediate advice.
Explain whether the animal is owned, found or stray before travelling.
Frightened or aggressive animal
Avoid cornering, restraining or approaching an unfamiliar animal behaving dangerously.
Keep people and other animals away and seek guidance from appropriate professionals.
Animal welfare contacts
- England and Wales: RSPCA for relevant animal welfare concerns.
- Scotland: Scottish SPCA animal helpline: 03000 999 999.
- Northern Ireland: Contact the appropriate local animal welfare service or emergency vet.
Animal welfare organisations may have limited hours, coverage or powers. For an immediate threat to human life, call 999.
Useful services
Organisations and official resources
These organisations offer information, reporting routes or practical assistance for people dealing with missing or found animals.
DogLost
A UK-wide missing and found dog network. Specifically for dogs.
Visit DogLostCats Protection
Guidance about missing cats, found cats and cat welfare.
Visit Cats ProtectionMicrochip registration
Contact your animal’s registered microchip database and confirm your keeper details are correct.
View dog and cat microchip guidanceLocal council
Contact the appropriate council dog warden or stray-dog service for lost and found dogs.
Find your councilPolice
Report suspected animal theft online through your local police force or by calling 101. Use 999 for an immediate emergency.
Find police contact optionsPAWP | Information and signposting
Need help finding the right information?
Explore PAWP’s support directory for guidance, specialist organisations and practical resources relating to people and companion animals.
PAWP does not provide a missing-pet search service, investigate theft or arrange animal recovery.
💜 The People & Animal Welfare Project
For people, for pets, for purpose.
PAWP recognises the importance of companion animals in people’s lives and the distress that can result when a much-loved pet goes missing.
Our aim is to make appropriate information, reporting routes and animal welfare resources easier to find.
Safer decisions. Responsible action. Better outcomes for people and animals.
Common questions
Lost, found and stolen pet FAQs
Should I contact the police if my pet is missing?
A pet who has escaped or wandered away should normally be reported through appropriate lost-animal channels.
For dogs, notify the relevant council dog warden service. For cats and other animals, contact suitable vets and specialist organisations.
Report the matter to the police if theft or another crime is suspected.
Will a vet scan a found animal for a microchip?
Many veterinary practices can scan dogs and cats for microchips. Availability and arrangements differ.
Contact the practice before travelling. A veterinary practice may not be able to accept or house a found animal.
Can I keep a pet that I have found?
Finding an animal does not automatically transfer ownership.
Follow appropriate reporting procedures, make reasonable efforts to identify the owner and seek advice before considering any long-term arrangement.
Is a cat outdoors necessarily lost?
No. Many cats roam outdoors as part of their normal routine.
If a cat appears healthy and comfortable, seek appropriate advice before removing them from the area.
If the cat appears injured, ill or severely distressed, contact a veterinary or animal welfare professional promptly.
Should I post about a found pet on social media?
A carefully written local appeal may help identify an owner, but it should not replace any required official reporting.
Keep some identifying information private and verify claims before arranging a reunion.
What if an animal has no collar or readable microchip?
Continue following the appropriate reporting or advice pathway.
A missing collar or unreadable microchip does not mean the animal has no owner or has been abandoned.
My pet has been missing for several days. Should I stop searching?
Continue checking credible reports, following up on sightings and contacting relevant organisations.
Pets may be reunited with their owners after a significant period of time.
What should I do when my pet is safely home?
Arrange veterinary advice if the animal is injured, unwell or showing concerning symptoms.
Inform the organisations you contacted, update the microchip database and mark missing-pet notices as resolved.
Consider whether identification, containment or safety arrangements need reviewing.
Important: This PAWP guide provides general UK information and signposting only.
It does not replace advice from the police, local authorities, veterinary professionals or specialist animal welfare organisations.
Legal duties and reporting procedures differ across UK nations and animal species. Check current information with the relevant authority.
PAWP does not directly investigate missing animals, arrange animal recovery, provide veterinary treatment or operate an emergency response service.