Stafford County
Animal Shelter
Lost and Found
Lost a Pet?
If you have lost a pet you should immediately file a lost dog, cat or other pet report with the Animal Control of Stafford County by calling 540-658-7387. If you are not a resident of Stafford County you can still submit a lost or found report but please also make a report with your local animal shelter. You may also review pets that have either been found, brought to the Shelter by animal control, or have been reported by a citizen. Our lost and found reports are updated daily. If you submitted a lost report and your pet has come back home, you do not need to file an additional report. Please call the shelter to update that your pet has been reunited. Your lost report is good for 30 days. After 30 days you will have to file another report.
Found a Pet?
The Stafford County Animal Shelter accepts stray companion animals from Stafford County ONLY. If you found a stray animal please contact the animal shelter in the county in which you live or the county where you found the animal to file a report. Stray animals are accepted during our normal hours of operation Monday through Friday 11AM to 5:30PM and Saturday 9:30AM- 4PM. We ask that you please contact us before bringing the animal to the shelter. If you plan on holding on to the animal you found, you must file a "found report" with animal control and make every attempt to locate the owner. Do not give away, sell, or keep any stray animal without contacting your local animal shelter (this is illegal). If you are unable to locate an owner and can no longer hold onto the animal, please contact the animal shelter during normal business hours or the non-emergency line at 540-658-4400 to be put in touch with an animal control officer. Please understand that finding a stray is not considered an emergency (unless the animal requires immediate medical attention) and you might have to wait until the following day, during normal business hours, to have the animal picked up. You are not obligated to hold on to the animal. Strays that are brought into our custody are placed on a "stray hold" and must stay at the shelter during the entire duration of the stray hold. Stray hold is usually 5-10 full days, including weekends and holidays. If an owner comes forward after the stray hold ends, and the animal is still in our custody, the animal will be returned back to the rightful owner.
Identifying You Pet
Did you know only 5% of approximately 130 million dogs and cats are microchipped in the United States? Microchips are great for permanent identification that is tamper proof. Please understand that microchipping is not a GPS tracker and your information is only valid if the animal is scanned at a local vet clinic or animal shelter. Please make sure to update your microchip yearly or if any major changes happen in your life (ownership status, address change, phone number change, etc.) You can get more information and pricing on microchips at your local vet’s office. Microchipping not an option? A collar with up to date contact information is also a great way to help reunite you with your lost pet.