Found A Stray

Did you find a dog or cat outside? It could be someone’s pet.

What should you do?

  1. Take the pet to a vet to see if they have a microchip (most places do not charge for this). If they do have a microchip, see if you can get in touch with the owner on record to reunite the pet with their human.
  2. You can also check social media and post the pet to Lost & Found Pets of Pinellas Facebook page, or NextDoor.
  3. If there is no microchip or if you are unable to keep the pet until their owner can get them, take the pet to Pinellas County Animal Services (PCAS). All strays found in Pinellas County should be directed to PCAS.
  4. You can also report a lost or found pet through the following platforms:

PCAS will hold strays with ID for 7 days. If an animal is brought in and has no identification, they will be held for 4 days to see if someone comes forward to claim them. If not, they’re released from the stray hold and those pets will either be available for other organizations (like Friends of Strays) to pull them from PCAS or they will be available for adoption directly from PCAS. Not every animal will be guaranteed to be eligible for adoption from PCAS once its stray hold is completed. 

If you bring a stray to our shelter, we can scan them for a microchip. However, we cannot keep them at our shelter – we will recommend you take them to PCAS. 


IF YOU'VE FOUND KITTENS: 

If you find young kittens without their mom, it does not necessarily mean they have been abandoned. Their mother could be out looking for food, or finding a more suitable home for her kittens. If you find one or two kittens, mama may be in the process of moving the family and is on her way back for the others. If the kittens appear healthy, please wait and observe from a distance for an hour or two before doing anything else. 

If, after 1-2 hours of observation, you haven’t seen signs of the mother, you will ultimately have to use your own judgment to decide how to handle the kittens, depending upon the litter’s needs and your time and resources. 
  
Keep the following in mind when deciding what to do next: 

  • Kittens have the best chance of survival with their mother. 
  • If you bring the cats inside, you should keep them separate from your animals until evaluated by a veterinarian. 
  • For proper social development, kittens should be kept with their litter (and mother, if possible) until at least 8 weeks of age. 

If you have the capacity to care for the kittens and find new homes for them yourself, you could become a Kitten Hero! Participants in this program can get their found kittens spayed/neutered and vaccinated at no cost. Learn more. 

Learn more about our intake program and policies.


For injured wildlife