Found a Stray?
If you have found a lost animal, the best chance of reuniting them with their family is to start locally. Most animals are found within a few miles of their home. Even if the animal seems to have been “dumped,” the proper authorities should be notified.
Local Animal Services
Please contact the appropriate shelter for the area where the animal has been found to report a found pet or to check for lost reports:
New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office Animal Services. 910-798-7500
Brunswick County Animal Services 910-253-1738
Pender County Animal Shelter 910-259-1484
Craven County Animal Control 252-637-4606
Jones County Animal Control 252-448-7001
Duplin County Animal Services 910-296-2159
Lenoir County Animal Services 252-526-4200
Immediate Steps to Take
Scan for a Microchip: Any local vet clinic or shelter will scan a found pet for free.
Post Locally: Use apps like Nextdoor and Facebook groups (e.g., "Lost and Found Pets of [Your County]").
File a "Found" Report: Even if you keep the animal in your home while searching, notify the county shelter so owners can find them.
Once all of these steps completed, if an owner is still not found, please fill out our Found Stray Form.
Important Notice: Our foster homes are currently at maximum capacity. We are unfortunately unlikely to be able to take in strays at this time.
Owner Surrenders
Deciding to rehome a pet is a difficult choice. While we provide an Owner Surrender Form for those in need, please be aware of our current status:
Important Notice: Our foster homes are currently at maximum capacity. We are unfortunately unlikely to be able to take in new surrenders at this time.
We strongly encourage owners to explore alternative rehoming platforms like Rehome by Adopt-a-Pet or Home To Home, which allow you to keep your pet in your home while finding them a new family directly, bypassing the stress of a shelter environment.
Still have questions? Please reach out via our contact form below, and we will do our best to point you toward the right resources.