Lost & Found

If you've lost or found an animal, the resources on this page can help reunite the pet with its owner.

Losing your pet is traumatic. Your first inclination may be to panic, but you stand a far greater chance of finding your pet if you follow these simple steps.

  • Prior to losing your pet: Take several color photos of your pet, identify the best one, and make multiple prints. On the back of each print write your pet's name, breed, age, approximate height and weight, and your name and phone number. Put these away for future use.
  • Proper identification is your single best chance for finding your missing companion! There are several kinds of pet IDs available: collar tags, tattoos, or microchips. Microchipping is a great choice since most animal shelters and veterinary clinics will have a scanner, allowing them to scan a pet for its chip and trace it back to its registered owner. The Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter will microchip your pet for the low fee of $25. Please call the shelter at 516-785-5220 to confirm availability.
  • When you first discover that your pet is missing, immediately contact all animal shelters and animal control offices in your area. By law, stray animals brought to a shelter are only held for five days - after which, if the animal is unclaimed, it can be legally adopted out to someone else. Don't wait around to see if your pet comes back on its own! File a lost report with every resource in your area right away. The Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter's phone number is 516-785-5220.
  • Bring a photo of your pet to each animal shelter in your area. A photo is significantly better than just a verbal description because it allows the staff to make a visual comparison.
  • For each shelter you contact, make a return visit every few days. While animal shelters try their best to match lost pets with their owners, the best way to find your pet is to actually walk through their kennels yourself.
  • If you put up signs around town, make sure to use your pet's photo on the sign.

View Stray & Lost Animals

Please scroll to see all lost animals. Click the photo for details.

If you are having issues scrolling,  view the full list online.

Report Lost or Found Animals

If you have lost or found an animal, fill out the online form, call us, or visit during admitting hours. We will keep your information on file for thirty days and contact you if we locate your animal or the owner of the animal you've found. In order to give us the best chance of helping you, please fill out all the information as completely as possible.