Animal Law Enforcement & Rescue

Additional Shelters:

SEAACA's Guide to Southern
California Animal Shelters

Southern California Shelter Guide

Guide to finding your lost pet (or adopting a homeless one!)
When your pet is lost, there's no time to waste: check shelters in your pet's likely range and do it in person. Though some shelter agencies post animal photos on their web sites, you may not recognize your own pet. Lost animals often appear different fur can get dirty, tangled or grow; they can lose weight; just being scared can change the way a pet photographs.

This list contains only public shelters, where lost and stray pets will be impounded. Though shelters have different policies as to how long an animal is held for the owner to claim, California's minimum holding time for a dog or cat four months or older is five days longer by law if the pet has tags. Once that time is up, the animal can be made available for adoption. Sometimes, private rescue groups will buy available shelter animals and try to find homes from their locations, such as private kennels, weekend adoptions at pet-supply stores or events.

This list of shelters is organized by region start with the ones that service nearest the place your pet was lost. Remember, your pet can travel, so key the animal's likely territory to the shelters serving that area. Check every few days it may take a while for your pet to show up: