Lost Pets

If you discover your pet is lost, there are several things you can do:

1. Look around your neighbourhood and ask neighbours if they have seen your pet. Be sure to include the time and approximate place your pet went missing. Let others know you've lost your pet. It may not have wandered far.
2. Check Found Pets Search, the City's online public database of the found dogs, cats and small pets currently at the Animal Care & Control Centre. New animals are brought into the facility daily. On arrival, their photo is immediately uploaded to the database. Dogs and cats are held for 3 -10 days before they are assessed for adoption and transferred to the Edmonton Humane Society or other local rescue groups.
3. Contact Guardian Veterinary Centre to see if your animal has been admitted. Guardian Veterinary Centre will accept sick or injured animals after hours and will bring them to Animal Care & Control Centre the following morning.
4. Check online. Found pets are also often listed on websites such as Kijiji and Craigslist and the following Facebook pages: Animal Care & Control, Edmonton and Area Lost Pets and Edmonton Lost Pets. 
5. Check to make sure the contact information associated with your City pet's licence is correct. If your pet is licensed and wearing tags, Animal Care & Control will contact you if your pet is admitted to the City's facility.

If you locate your pet at the Animal Care & Control Centre, owners are generally responsible for paying shelter fees and may have to pay a fine for having an animal at large. Kennel fees for the first day are $25 and $15 each day thereafter.

Additional charges also apply for any veterinary treatment provided.

The fine for a pet at large is $100 and the fine for an unlicensed pet is $250.

If you find a stray dog, there are several steps you can take to help return the animal to the owners:

• Contact 311 for assistance from Animal Care & Control to pick up dogs. If you have any concern about a stray dog's behaviour, this is the best action to take. Licensed dogs will be taken home if possible; otherwise, the animal is admitted to the Animal Care & Control Centre. Licensed pets are entitled to one free ride home every 12 months. If the pet is wearing a licence tag, you may be able to contact the owner yourself. Call 311 for assistance.
• Transport the animal to the Animal Care & Control Centre. The City will search for the owner.
• If the animal is injured, take the animal to the Guardian Veterinary Centre at 5620- 99 Street. Animal Care & Control will pick it up the next day.

If you find a stray cat that needs assistance, there are several steps you can consider depending on the category of cat that you have found. 

I Found A Cat

Note: Animal Care & Control does not pick up stray cats. Please transport stray cats to the Animal Care & Control Centre. Guardian will not be able to accept found stray animals due to limited capacity.

If you would like to adopt the stray animal, be sure to ask the City for special consideration. If the owner does not claim the animal and it's adoptable, you may be able to adopt it from the Edmonton Humane Society.

We all want to be a responsible pet owner and keep animals safe. There are steps you can take to help prevent your pet from getting lost, and if your pet goes missing, help ensure a safe return home:

• Licence your pet – this is a simple and easy way to ensure your pet's information is on file and linked to your household
• Have your pet implanted with a microchip and keep the contact information up-to-date
• Keep cats inside – the chance of them going missing or being injured is greatly reduced if they stay indoors
• Spay and neuter your companion pets, as this will diminish their urge to roam and mate
• If you take your pet outside, ensure it's properly leashed or in a secured area, like a fenced yard

• Animal Care & Control (Lost Pets Database)
• Edmonton Humane Society: 780-471-1774
• Guardian Veterinary Centre: 780-436-5880