Finding Your Lost Pet

If you have lost a pet, you must act immediately by visiting Animal Services to reclaim your pet. Our stray animal holding period is three consecutive days for dogs without identification; and five consecutive days for dogs and cats with identification, including closed days and holidays. After the holding period, they become property of Animal Services and may be adopted, transferred to another agency, or humanely euthanized if the pet is deemed unadoptable.

There is no holding period for cats without identification. They immediately become property of Animal Services and may be adopted, transferred to another agency, or humanely euthanized if deemed unadoptable.

Do not delay looking for your pet.

Remember, tags can come off, so don't assume your pet was wearing identification when we found it. You must complete a missing pet report and also provide proof of ownership. Proper proof includes:

• current veterinary records

• rabies certificate

• a county tag and/or registered microchip

Fees are associated with the boarding of your pet that must be paid to reclaim your pet. We accept Visa, Master Card and Discover credit cards and cash (no checks). Lost and Found hours to reclaim animals are Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. excluding holidays. 

Finding Your Lost Pet After Hours

If you have found your pet on our website when we are closed to the public, please call the shelter at 239-533-7387 (LEE-PETS) for after-hours assistance. Please be prepared to provide your pet’s online assigned identification number that begins with an “A” when speaking with the after-hours answering service representative.

The after-hours answering service will notify the on-duty officer to contact you to place a hold on your pet through the end of the next open business day so you can come in and reclaim your missing pet. Please be advised that the on-duty officer is unavailable from midnight until 8 a.m. To reach the after-hours answering service when you call, press 1. During business hours, you may reach our kennel supervisors at kennel@leegov.com.

Filing a Missing Pet Report

If you register your lost pet on our website, the information goes to Pet Harbour, a third-party vendor that manages our searchable database of lost pets. Pet Harbour may send you an email if a pet fitting the same description appears on the site, but they do not forward your lost registration to us. Therefore, you must fill out the missing pet report in person at our shelter. Lee County Domestic Animal Services cannot be responsible for your failure to claim your pet. You must do this in person and provide proof of ownership listed above. Remember, lost dogs can only be held for three consecutive days (without identification) or five consecutive days (with identification), including closed days and holidays. Cats are held five consecutive days (with identification) including closed days and holidays. Cats with no identification immediately become the property of Animal Services.