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Lost and Found Pets
Prevent lost pets
- Keep cats indoors and dogs inside a fully fenced yard. Check your fence regularly for gaps or weak boards.
- Keep your dog on a leash during walks and hikes (it’s the law!)
- Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with their current license tag at all times.
- Put an orange collar on your indoor cat; if they do sneak out, this signals that they’re not supposed to be outside.
- Microchip your pet and keep the contact information up to date.
- License your pet and renew every year. It’s the best way to ensure you’ll be reunited if anything does happen.
- What to do if your pet becomes lost
- What to do if you find a lost pet
- What to do you if you find livestock
- Place your pet’s favorite bed or blanket outside near the place you last saw them. Pets will often follow the familiar scent.
- Show a picture of your pet to your neighbors and ask them to call you if they see your pet.
- Make sure your pet’s license and microchip information is up to date with your contact information.
- Submit a lost pet report to the Everett Animal Shelter and check their website daily for updates on new arrivals to the shelter. If you live in south Snohomish County, check the PAWS website as well.
- Put up flyers, check with local veterinarians, and place ads on PetFinder, FidoFinder, Nextdoor, and groups like 'Lost Dogs of Snohomish County' on Facebook.
What We Do
When an Animal Control Officer finds a stray animal, we try to identify and contact the owner. This is why a pet license is so important! A licensed pet can be returned to you faster and you can avoid costs associated with sheltering your pet. If the Animal Control Officer is unable to contact you or the pet does not have ID, a microchip, or a license, we will transport the animal to the Everett Animal Shelter for safekeeping. You will have to pay a substantial fee to redeem your animal from the shelter – so keep your pets on your property!
Do you live outside our service area of unincorporated Snohomish County? Your animal services agency and contracted shelter may be different. Find out here.
- If the pet shows signs of aggression, call 9-1-1.
- Move slowly and calmly. If the pet is too skittish to approach or contain, call Snohomish County Animal Services (425-388-3440).
- If it is safe to do so, check to see if the animal has a license or identification tag. If the pet has a Snohomish County tag, you can find the owner’s contact information through our pet look-up tool. (Enter the tag number without any dashes: for example, enter '18-99999' as '1899999')
- If you are unable to identify the owner:
- Take the pet to the Everett Animal Shelter.
- We recommend taking lost pets to the shelter for your own safety and wellbeing, and that of the pet. If you do decide to house the pet until you find the owner, provide the Everett Animal Shelter with a description of the animal by phone (425-257-6000) or the online found report.
- Put up 'found' flyers and place notices on PetFinder, FidoFinder, Nextdoor, and groups like 'Lost Dogs of Snohomish County' on Facebook.
Do you live outside our service area of unincorporated Snohomish County? Your animal services agency and contracted shelter may be different. Find out here.
- If it is unsafe to contain the animal or it is running at large on a public street, call 9-1-1.
- Contain the animal if it is safe to do so. Call Snohomish County Animal Services (425-388-3440, option 9) to arrange for the animal to be picked up.
- If you need assistance containing the animal, call Snohomish County Animal Services (425-388-3440, option 9).
- Put up 'found' flyers and signs and place notices on social networking sites like Nextdoor or Facebook.