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

Other Helpful Lost Dog Sites

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