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Report Lost and Found Pets

HELP I LOST MY PET?

To report a missing/found pet, call the Animal Service Center at (703) 792-6465. A voicemail can be left -- the voice mailbox is checked periodically throughout the workday and your call will be returned. After 5 p.m., call the Police non-emergency number at (703) 792-6500. You may also print and fill out an Animal Control Bureau Lost Card and fax/email it to the Animal Service Center 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Our fax number is (703) 791-6710 and our email is [email protected].

It is helpful to attach a clear, recent photo of the pet to the email. When a person calls to report a missing pet, and the animal is not currently at the Center, a lost card Center.

How do I redeem a stray animal?

Should an animal be picked up running at-large by an Animal Control or Police Officer, or turned in as a stray by a citizen, owners may pick up their animals during the following hours listed below: 

Monday 700AM–430PM
Tuesday 800AM–430PM
Wednesday 800AM–430PM
Thursday 800AM–430PM
Friday 800AM–430PM
Saturday 700AM–430PM
Sunday 700AM–430PM

Animals may also be redeemed on holidays.

When visiting the Animal Services Center, inquire with the Front Desk staff about your missing pet. After providing a description of your pet, staff will check all internal records to find a possible match. NOTE: Proof of ownership is required to redeem an animal. 

What constitutes Proof of Ownership?

  • Dog License
  • Vet Records
  • Microchip Certificate
  • Adoption Contract
  • Photo/Video of Animal (Print/Digital)
  • Bill of sale
  • Lease listing animal

(The above are examples only. Additional proof may be required to redeem an animal.)

If a lost animal is not located in the shelter a Lost Report will be filed. 

Does it cost anything to redeem an animal?

Owners will be required to pay a boarding fee of $15 per day (plus a $30 impoundment fee) in order to redeem an animal. Included in the fee are.

  • Distemper combo vaccination
  • Intranasal Bordetella vaccination (Dogs)
  • Microchip (Optional)

If you locate your pet, please advise the shelter so the lost card can be removed from the file.

I FOUND A PET

Animals that have been found by a citizen must either be turned over to the Animal Services Center or a Found Report must be placed with the Center (per state law 3.2-6551). The person finding an animal may call Police Communications at (703) 792-6500, to request an Animal Control Officer or Police Officer to come to their location and pick up the animal, or the person may bring the animal to the Animal Services Center at 14807 Bristow Road.

If unable to bring a stray animal into the center or it is after the center's normal business hours, please contact the Police Non-Emergency Number at (703) 792-6500 so an officer can be dispatched out to transport the animal to the center. 

If after the center's normal business hours citizens may also bring the animal to their nearest police station so that an officer may safely transport the animal to the center overnight.

To place a Found Report with the Center, call (703) 792-6465 or email us at [email protected]. An animal is more likely to find its way back to its owner if taken to the Animal Services Center for several reasons:

  • The owner of a lost animal may not call us to report that their animal is missing -- they may simply come to the Center and look.
  • The finder of the animal may incorrectly identify the breed or sex of the animal, thus causing a non-match with a lost card we may have on file.
  • The Animal Services Center is able to scan for microchips and track any tattoos the animal may have.
    The law also provides that a person finding the animal may have the right of first refusal to adopt the animal if the owner does not come forward in the time allotted by law.

Stray animals are typically held for a 6-11 day period until an owner redeems them. Citizens who help bring stray animals into the shelter are typically given first right of adoption. For more information about adopting a found animal, call the Animal Services Center at (703) 792-6465. NOTE: By law found animals cannot be claimed as property without being adopted from a releasing agency.

What You Can Do to Help a Lost Pet

  • Call the Animal Services Center at 703-792-6465. After 5 p.m., call the Police non-emergency number at 703-792-6500 or email the description of the animal, location lost, and contact information to [email protected]. If your missing pet is not already there, leave information to complete a lost card.
  • Search your immediate neighborhood and post fliers with a photo.
  • Check social media sites that advertise lost pets.
  • Broaden your search by a mile each day, up to three miles.
  • Visit the Animal Service Center and inquire about the animals impounded. ALSO, ask staff for information on injured or sick animals, or animals in quarantine.
  • Contact the Virginia Department of Transportation to see if your pet was removed from the roadway and disposed of by that agency. 

If a deceased animal is found on a public roadway residents may contact Virginia Department of Transportation's main customer service line in Northern Virginia at (703) 383-VDOT (8368)