Lost & Found Animals

Tips For Finding Lost Pets

When a beloved pet strays from home, it can be a traumatic experience for the owner and the animal alike. The Animal Welfare League offers these tips to help pet owners find their lost companions.

Contact Animal Agencies

Immediately telephone all humane societies, animal care & control agencies and animal protection organizations within a large radius to file a lost-pet report.  Pets often stray farther from home than their owners believe possible.  If there is no shelter in your area, contact your local police department.  Visit your local shelter every 24 hours to search. See our list of facilities below.

Search the Neighborhood

Walk and/or drive through your neighborhood several times every day.  The early morning hours and sunset are prime times for finding lost pets.  Question neighbors, joggers, postal carriers, garbage collectors and newspaper carriers and ask them to keep an eye out for your pet.

Use the Power of Scent

Place a recently-worn article of clothing in your yard; for cats which usually stay indoors, place their litter box outside.  Familiar scents can bring them home.

Post Flyers

Post flyers at all public places – grocery stores, community centers, churches, etc.  Place an ad in the classified section of your local paper.  Caution: To protect your self from pet-recovery scams, leave out one of your pet’s identifying characteristics so you can verify the honesty of any caller who claims to have found your pet.
Create your own Flyers.

Notify Others

Call your local veterinary clinics, especially those that offer boarding.  Injured pets are often taken directly to a veterinarian for care prior to transfer to an animal shelter.
We also recommend contacting local pet stores and dog groomers.

File a report

Even if there have been suspected cases of pet theft in your area, don’t assume that your pet is the latest victim.  Pets are far more likely to stray from home and get lost than be stolen.  However, if you have evidence that leads you to believe your pet has been stolen, notify your local police and animal control departments immediately.

More Recovery Procedures

Friendly Lost Dog Strategies

Shy Lost Dog Strategies

List of ways to get the message out about your lost dog to generate sightings and questions to ask about sightings: Generating Sightings Album on Facebook

Uses of traps and wildlife cameras: Recovery Procedures Album on Facebook

Other Helpful Lost Dog Sites

  • Helping Lost Pets.com  – This website is a free map-based listing service. You can upload your missing dog’s photo and details and search for dogs found in your area.
  • Lost Dog Search – This website site provides free information, guidance, and support through their website, emails, and by phone.
  • Lost Dogs Illinois – This website site provides free information, guidance,  support, and templates through their website, social media, emails, and by phone.  You can file lost and found reports here.
  • USPS Every Door Direct Mail – A direct mail service from the Post Office that can help you target your flyer distribution in a specific area for a very low cost (14.5 cents) per flyer.

Don’t Give Up!

Keep searching even when you have little hope left.  Animals who have been lost for months have been reunited with their owners.

And to prevent a “Next Time”…

Protect your pet from getting lost again.  Always keep a collar and identification tag on your pet.  An ID tag is a lost pet-s ticket home.  Ask your vet or local animal care and control agency if permanent methods of pet identification such as microchips are available through them.  License your pet as local law requires.  Other important steps include keeping your pets supervised at all times and having them spayed or neutered.  Finally, keep a photo of your pet on file in the event he or she strays again.

Many require proof of ownership and current rabies vaccinations upon redemption of any animal. Be sure to bring this information with you when visiting any facility.

A current rabies vaccination will be administered at owner’s cost if proof is not available. Other fees that will be incurred at time of redemption: Impoundment, vaccination(s), daily boarding fees and microchip.

List of all Animal Control Facilities licensed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Listed below are several area shelters and facilities to contact if you have lost or found an animal.

Cook County

If you would like your facility to be added to our website, please contact us.

Animal Welfare League
10305 Southwest Highway
Chicago Ridge, IL 60415
(708)636-8586
Cook County Department of
Animal & Rabies Control
10220 S. 76th Ave. 2nd Floor
Bridgeview, Illinois 60455
(708) 974-6140
Norridge Police Department
4020 N. Olcott
Norridge, IL 60706
(708)453-4770
Animal Welfare League
6224 S. Wabash Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637
(773) 667-0088
Countryside Veterinary Center 
9823 W 55th St.
Countryside, IL 60525
(708) 469-6050
Northwest Animal Hospital
2024 S. River Rd.
Des Plaines, IL 60018
(847)296-3112
Animal Care League
1011 Garfield St.
Oak Park, IL 60304
(708) 848-8155
Evanston Animal Shelter
2310 Oakton
Evanston, IL 60202
(847)866-5080
Oak Forest Police Department
15440 S. Central
Oak Forest, IL 60452
708-256-5078
Anti-Cruelty
157 W Grand Ave.
Chicago, IL 60654
(312) 644-8338
Forest View Police Department
7000 W. 46th St.
Forest View, IL 60402
(708)788-0318
Preiser Animal Hospital
2975 Milwaukee Ave.
Northbrook, IL 60062
(847) 827-5200
Broadview Animal Hospital
2128 S. 17th Ave.
Broadview, IL 60155
(708)344-1909
Glencoe Animal Hospital
1820 Skokie Blvd.
Northbrook, IL 60062
(847) 835-1302
South Suburban Humane Society
1103 W End Ave.
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
(708) 755-7387
Brookfield Police Department
8820 Brookfield Ave.
Brookfield, IL 60513
(708)485-8131
Golf Rose Animal Hospital*
1375 N Roselle Rd.
Schaumburg, IL 60195
(847) 885-3344
Thornton Police Department
700 Park Ave.
Thornton, IL 60476
(708)877-4440
Calumet City Animal Control
P.O. Box 1519
Calumet City, IL 60409
(708)891-8199
Glencoe Public Safety
325 Hazel Ave.
Glencoe, IL 60022
(847)835-4112
VCA Berwyn Animal Hospital
2845 S. Harlem Ave.
Berwyn, IL 60402
(708)749-4200
Chicago Animal Care & Control
2741 S. Western
Chicago, IL 60608
(312)747-1406
Hanover Park Police Department
2011 Lake Street
Hanover Park, IL 60133
(630)823-5500
Village of Bellwood
3200 Washington
Bellwood, IL 60104
(708)547-3528
Cicero Waggin’ Tails Animal Shelter
1634 Laramie
Cicero, IL 60804
(708)652-0825
Niles Animal Pound
7000 W. Touhy Ave.
Niles, IL 60714
(847)588-6500
Village of Stickney
6533 W. Pershing Rd.
Stickney, IL 60402
(708)788-2131

*Golf Rose Animal Hospital provides animal control services to:

  • Schaumburg
  • Streamwood
  • Hoffman Estates
  • Palatine
  • Elgin
  • South Elgin (Emergencies Only)
  • Barrington Hills
  • South Barrington
  • Arlington Heights
  • Rolling Meadows
  • Roselle
  • Mt. Prospect
  • Carpentersville
  • Park Ridge
  • Des Plaines
  • Elk Grove Village (Emergencies Only)
  • Certain Unincorporated areas of Cook County

Dupage County

Dupage County Animal Care & Control
130 N. County Farm Rd.
Wheaton, IL 60187
(630)407-2800
Hinsdale Humane Society
22 N. Elm St.
Hinsdale, IL 60521
(630)323-5630
Warrenville Animal Control
3S245 Warren Ave.
Warrenville, IL 60555
(630) 393-2131
Greater O’Hare Animal Control
6 N 441 Catalpa Ave.
Wood Dale, IL 60191
(630)766-4676
Naperville Humane Society
1620 W. Diehl Rd.
Naperville, IL 60563
(630)420-8989

 

Grundy County

Grundy County Animal Control
310 E Dupont Rd.
Morris, IL 60450

 

Kane County

Aurora Animal Control & Care
600 S River St, Aurora, IL 60506
(630) 256-3630
Kane County Animal Control
4060 Keslinger Road, Geneva, IL 60134
(630) 232-3555

 

Kendall County

Kendall County Animal Control

802 West John Street

Yorkville, IL 60560
630.553.925

 

Lake County

Lake County Animal Control
29278 N. Highway 83
Mundelein, IL 60060
(847)949-9925
North Chicago Animal Control
1494 Renken Dr
North Chicago, Illinois 60064
847-596-8774
Waukegan Police Animal Control
1698 N McAree Rd
Waukegan, IL 60085
(847) 599-2690
Orphans of the Storm
2200 Riverwoods Road
Riverwoods (Deerfield), IL 60015
(847)945-0235
Save A Pet
31664 N Fairfield Rd.
Grayslake, IL 60030
(847) 740-7788

 

Will County

Anderson Animal Shelter
1000 S. La Fox Rd.
South Elgin, IL 60177
(847)697-2880
Joliet Township Animal Control Center
2807 McDonough St.
Joliet, IL 60436
(815)725-0333
Village of Romeoville
1050 W. Romeo St.
Romeoville, IL 60446
(815)886-7219
Bolingbrook Animal Control & Care
145 Royce Rd.
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
(630)226-8500
Plum Creek Regional Animal Medical Center
1751 East Exchange St.
Crete, Il 60417
(708)672-7269
Will County Animal Control
1200 S. Cedar Road Unit 1D
New Lenox, IL 60451
(815)462-5633
Frankfort Township Animal Control
9434 W. La Porte Road
Mokena, IL 60448
(815)469-4907 x.3712
Tender Loving Care (TLC)
13016 West 151st Street
Homer Glen IL 60491
(708)301-1594