Found a Pet
Found a friendly, healthy pet? Take these steps to get them home!
Data shows that pets are statistically less likely to be reunited with their owners if brought to a shelter than if kept in their community. The best thing you can do for healthy, friendly stray pets is to try to find their owners and reunite families before bringing them to MHS.
1. Post the pet on Petco Love Lost!
Petco Love Lost uses facial recognition technology to match photos of the pet. You can share the Found Pet profile to your local social media pages. You can also use Petco Love Lost to make flyers to post in your neighborhood!
2. Did you talk to your neighbors?
Don't assume the pet has been abandoned! A pet lost for several days can quickly look like they've been missing for months. Ask your neighbors if they have seen this pet and post flyers with your contact information and the pet's picture. Keeping the pet in the neighborhood where it was found is the best chance they have of getting back to their family!
3. Does the pet have a microchip?
Check the collar to see if there are tags or phone numbers listed. You can also take the pet to any vet clinic or animal shelter to have them scanned for a microchip for free. Microchips include contact information for owners and can help reunite the pet quickly!
Research microchip information.
4. Don't forget to use social media!
- Council Bluffs Lost & Found Pets Facebook Page
- Missing Pets of Council Bluffs/Omaha Area Facebook Page
- Lost Pets of Omaha Area Facebook Page
If you find a sick or injured stray pet, please bring them to MHS during open hours or call Council Bluffs Animal Control at 712-328-4656 or Pottawattamie County Animal Control at 712-366-1143. For more tips on what to do when you find a lost dog, check out these tips from Petco Love Lost
If you need to bring a found pet to Midlands Humane Society, the pet MUST have been found within Pottawattamie County as MHS is unable to accept animals outside of our jurisdiction. Stray animals can be accepted during business hours of 12pm-6pm Monday through Friday, and 11am-5pm Saturdays. Please be prepared to show a valid ID and complete the appropriate intake paperwork upon your arrival. MHS does not have the authority to dispatch animal control officers.
Found a cat?
The cat you found may not be a stray. Don't assume they've been abandoned. If you have found a healthy cat in your area, they probably belong to one of your neighbors and is an indoor/outdoor cat.
If you see healthy stray cats and kittens, whether they’re friendly or unsocialized, it means someone is caring for them and they live in the community. If they have a tipped ear, it means they’ve been sterilized and vaccinated.