All healthy dogs over three months of age should be taken to Maricopa Animal Care and Control (MCACC) for a stray hold to give owners a central location to claim their animals. For sick, injured or abused strays you may contact the Arizona Humane Society (AHS). There is a surrender fee for both facilities.
Other suggestions if you’ve found a pet:
- Have the animal scanned for a microchip by a local veterinarian or shelter (call ahead to ensure that they have a microchip scanner on hand).
- Visit www.petharbor.com to post the pet as found and download a Found Dog flyer template.
- Post the pet on Nextdoor, a smartphone app, which allows you to connect with neighbors and surrounding communities.
- Post the pet on Maricopa County Animal Care & Control’s website at
- http://gis.maricopa.gov/mapapp/animalcarecontrol/stray/index.html
- Post the flyers near where you found the pet, in all directions.
- All lost dog posts should:
- Have an easy-to-read title, such as “Found Cat” or “Found Dog.”
- Provide a brief description of the found animal (e.g., Female, brown tabby with white tail).
- Include your name and number.
- Omit one or two of the pet’s unique identifying marks so you can make sure you have the true owner of the pet.
- Post a picture of the pet to the Facebook groups “Lost Dogs of Arizona” or “Straydar” with the location they were found.
County Shelters:
- Central/West Valley Maricopa County Animal Care and Control – 2500 S 27th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85009
- Phoenix East Valley Maricopa County Animal Care and Control – 1920 S Lewis, Mesa, AZ 85210
- Arizona Humane Society – 5501 E Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ 85008