What to do when you find a lost pet

If you’ve found a lost pet: approach calmly, check the collar for a tag or QR code, and contain the pet safely if you can. If there’s a phone number, call it. If there’s no ID, take the pet to a nearby vet, shelter, or pet store for a microchip scan, and file a found-pet report with your local shelter. Most reunions happen quickly through one of these steps.

You spot a dog trotting alone down the street, or a cat sitting under a parked car looking confused. Most people freeze for a second. Then a kinder instinct kicks in — someone is missing this pet right now. The good news: you can help, and the steps are simpler than they feel in the moment. This guide walks through what to do calmly, in order, whether the pet has a tag or not.

Before you approach: a quick safety check

A lost pet is usually scared. Even a friendly dog or cat may behave unpredictably when separated from their family.

• Move slowly. Lower your voice. Avoid direct eye contact at first.
• Crouch down rather than standing over the pet. A lower posture is less threatening.
• Let the pet come to you when you can. ASPCA’s general guidance for approaching a frightened pet is to stay still or even walk in the opposite direction — many pets will follow once their fear settles.
• Don’t chase a pet that runs. Chasing usually pushes them further away.
• If the pet seems aggressive, injured, or unresponsive, call your local animal control or non-emergency police line.

If kids are with you, ask them to stay calm and a few steps back. Excitement, even friendly excitement, can spook a pet that’s already disoriented.

Step 1 — Look for ID

Once the pet is calm enough to approach, gently check the collar.

• Tags with a phone number. Call the number right away. Most lost-pet stories end here.
• A QR code or smart tag. Scan it with your phone’s camera. The owner’s chosen contact information will appear on a web page that opens automatically.
• A rabies tag with a number. That number can sometimes be looked up by the issuing veterinary clinic — useful if there’s no other ID.
• No tag at all. That doesn’t mean no ID. Many pets have a microchip, which can only be read with a special scanner. We’ll get to that.

When you scan a Driyu tag, the page that opens shows the contact information the owner has chosen to share — typically a phone number, the pet’s name, and a photo. You can call the owner directly from the page, or send a found-pet report through the form on the page; the owner is notified when a report is submitted. The owner stays in control of which details appear; you stay focused on getting the pet home.

Step 2 — Contain the pet safely (if you can)

If the pet is comfortable with you, try to bring them somewhere secure while you work on reuniting them.

• Use a leash or improvised slip lead. A belt or a long shoelace works in a pinch.
• For cats, a carrier is ideal but rare in the moment. A box, a quiet bathroom, your car, or a bathroom in a friendly nearby business can work briefly.
• Provide water, but skip food until you know the pet’s situation. Some lost pets have dietary restrictions or medical conditions.
• Don’t take the pet far from where you found them. Many owners are searching the area where they last saw their pet.

If you can’t safely contain the pet, that’s still OK. Note their location and the direction they were heading — that information is valuable to anyone searching. You can also ask a nearby business or neighbor to keep an eye out.

Step 3 — If there’s no tag (or no answer)

Many lost pets are reunited quickly because the call from the tag works. When it doesn’t, here’s the path:

1. Take the pet to a nearby vet, animal shelter, or pet store that has a microchip scanner. Scanning is free and takes only a few seconds. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, microchips are a reliable way to reunite pets with their families — when the chip is registered and the contact information is current.
2. Post on local lost-and-found pet groups. Nextdoor, Facebook neighborhood groups, and community-specific apps all see heavy lost-pet traffic. Include a clear photo, the location and time you found the pet, and a way to contact you.
3. File a found-pet report with your local shelter or animal control. Most owners contact shelters first when a pet goes missing.
4. Check the area where you found the pet for “lost pet” flyers — sometimes the family is searching nearby and you’re closer to a reunion than you realize.

Step 4 — Decide on temporary care

If the owner doesn’t surface immediately, the pet still needs a safe place while the search continues.

• Some shelters will hold the pet while they try to find the owner — typically for several days. This gives the owner the best chance of finding their pet through the standard recovery system.
• Some finders prefer to keep the pet temporarily. If you do, contact your local shelter and animal control to register the pet as “found” in their system. Owners check there first.
• Don’t keep a found pet long-term without reporting them. Even with the best intentions, this can prevent the original family from finding their pet.

Reporting a found pet to local shelters as soon as possible is the standard guidance from the ASPCA and Humane Society. The faster the pet shows up in the official “found” lists, the faster the owner can find them.

How a Driyu tag fits into this moment

If the pet has a Driyu tag, scanning the QR code shows what the owner has chosen to share — usually a name, photo, and contact information. You can call the owner directly from the page, or submit a found-pet report — when you send the report, the owner is notified that someone has their pet. The owner stays in control of which details appear; you stay focused on getting the pet home.

A call or a report doesn’t guarantee the owner answers immediately, but it gives you a direct way to try, and it gives the owner a clear signal that someone has their pet right now.

A short FAQ

What if the pet is injured? Take them to the nearest vet if you can do so safely. Many vets will see an injured stray and try to find the owner — they can also scan for a microchip during the visit.

What if the pet seems aggressive or fearful? Call animal control. Trained handlers can contain the pet safely. Don’t put yourself or the pet at risk by trying to handle a frightened animal alone.

What if I find the pet at night or in bad weather? Securing the pet somewhere warm and dry is the priority. Many shelters have after-hours numbers, and many vets accept emergency strays.

What if I can’t keep the pet, even temporarily? Local shelters and rescue organizations exist for exactly this situation. Calling them is the right move — they have processes ready for found pets.

What if the tag has a number but no one answers? Try again in a few minutes — the owner may already be out searching. Leave a clear voicemail. Then move on to the shelter scan and online posts; both can run in parallel.

You don’t need to solve every part of this. Most lost-pet stories end with one phone call from a tag, one shelter scan, or one neighborhood post. What matters most is the calm first ten minutes — staying with the pet, finding any ID, and reaching out to the systems that exist to help.

If your own pet wanders someday, those same systems are there for you. A tag, a microchip, and a current contact number make all of them work better.