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 to your local animal shelter. You may also review pets that have either been found, brought to the Shelter by animal control, or 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?
If you found a stray animal, please contact the animal shelter in the county where you found the animal to file a report. Stray animals are accepted during our normal hours of operation, Monday through Friday, 11 AM to 5:30 PM, and Saturday, 9:30 AM- 4 PM. 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 to the rightful owner.
Identifying Your Pet
Did you know that 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.) Microchipping is one of the best ways to help ensure your pet is returned to you if lost. The shelter offers AKC Reunite microchipping for a low fee of $20, with no appointment needed. Not ready to microchip? A collar with up-to-date contact information is also a great way to help reunite you with your pet.