What should I do if my pet goes missing?
RSPCA's top tips to help reunite you with your best friend
Adopt a Pet
Looking for a companion? Adopting a pet is a wonderful way of giving an animal in need a second chance! Learn more about adopting a pet and the RSPCA adoption process.
Lost or found a pet?
Lost pets
What to do if your pet goes missing
- Search your home and nearby areas, including any hidden or unusual spaces
- Walk your neighbourhood calling your pet’s name, focusing on familiar routes and recent locations
- Create and share lost pet flyers with a clear photo and contact details
- Check your pet’s microchip details and update them if needed
- Contact your local council, vet clinics and animal shelters
- Register your pet as missing with RSPCA
- Post in local community and lost pet Facebook groups
Lost your pet? Report them lost
Register your pet's details with the RSPCA and we can let you know if they come into our care.
Search our lost pet directory
If your pet has gone missing, you can search our database to see if they've been found! We have more tips below on how to search for your pet.
Found pets
Found a lost pet? Not sure what to do?
- If the pet is injured, take them to your closest vet
- Check for identification: Do they have a collar or tag with their owner's contact details
- Ask your neighbours, they may know the pet or its owner
- Contact the council: Councils manage strays and can advise whether to collect the pet or bring them to the pound
- Post the pet's details and photo on your local social media community notice boards
- Provide basic care: While waiting for your council to assist, please provide food, water and shelter
- Spread the word: Put up found posters, do a letterbox drop
- Check RSPCA's database: Register found pets and search for lost pets to help match them with their family
Found a lost pet? Report them found
If you’ve found a pet, adding their details to the RSPCA database can help speed up a reunion with their family.
Search our found pet directory
Has your pet gone missing? Search the RSPCA's database to see if they have been found.
More tips
From contacting your local council and putting up posters, here are more steps you can take to improve your changes of finding your pet
Read more
Microchipping is no guarantee of your pet coming home!
We read all the time of those stories of long lost pets being reunited with their owners because of their trusty microchip. But not every story ends so happily with almost 20,000 domestic animals coming into the care of RSPCA QLD as a stray or via our Animal Ambulance the need for up to date identification is so important.
Helping lost pets
Here are some helpful tips on what to do if you lose or find a pet.
Frequently asked questions
What do I do if I have lost or found a pet?
- Register your pet missing online or over the phone on 1300 363 736.
- Search the RSPCA Lost and Found database daily for found pets from the date your pet went missing or call 1300 363 736 and our trained staff can search for you.
- Continue to search our database for any new reports of your pet.
Your Local Council
- Contact your local and surrounding councils.
- Councils run the pound facilities that collect and accept stray animals.
- Consider going down to the pound in person as no one knows your pet better than you.
- Continue to contact the council pound/s daily or every second day.
Animal Shelters and Vet Surgeries
- Contact any local and surrounding animal shelters and vet surgeries.
- Provide a thorough description and current photograph of your pet.
Microchip Company
- Contact your microchip company and check your details are current. If not update immediately.
Is there a way to find out if my lost pet has come into RSPCA Queensland's care?
We also recommend registering your pet as lost online or over the phone on 1300 363 736. Following this, you will receive updates if there have been any stray animals arrive at our shelters that match the description you provided.
We also suggest contacting other nearby pounds, animal shelters, and veterinary hospitals, as some pets have been known to travel great distances when unable to find their homes.
How can I ensure my pet can be identified in any situation, such as being lost or found?
Ideally, your pet should have:
- an RSPCA VIP tag;
- a Microchip;
- a council registration tag; and
- a personal tag with name and phone number.
What is an RSPCA VIP tag?
How much does an RSPCA VIP tag cost, and do they expire?
What is a microchip?
Although microchips are a fantastic form of identification, they do have their faults and as such should not be solely relied upon. Microchips can slip out of place and be missed in a scan, they can be faulty and not scan all together and they will only be useful if you keep your contact details up to date with your microchip registry. A member of the public who finds your pet on the street will not have a microchip scanner with them and may not think to take the animal to a vet and may simply assume it has no identification at all.