I’VE FOUND A STRAY ANIMAL
What to do with a found animal
Have you found a stray animal that you're not sure what to do with? Please don't assume it has been abandoned or abused. Often, pets are missing for an extended period of time and may appear neglected or scared. Here are a few simple steps you can take to ensure that the animal is safely returned to its owner.
Unlike dogs, cats are not required to be on a leash while they are not on their owner’s property; as such, cats effectively have free roam of the county. There are large numbers of owned “outdoor” cats in Kane County. In order to encourage them to move on from your property, do not feed a cat or any other wildlife you see wandering. If you believe you have found a stray cat, KCAC will accept cats as strays that have been approved by a local municipality or found in unincorporated Kane County. Healthy cats must be brought to our facility by a member of the public due to there being no leash laws for cats in Kane County. Whereas KCAC will pick up sick/injured cats in unincorporated Kane County or sick/injured cats approved by your local municipality.
- Check and see if the animal has identification tags.
- Identification tags can help locate a pet, as all animals are required to be registered per Illinois State Law. If the animal has a rabies or license tag, we can help to try and locate an owner, call 630-232-3555. Be sure to provide the microchip and/or rabies tag number, along with a description of the animal and we'll assist in trying to locate the owner. If you have a microchip number and are not sure what company to call, you can find the company at AAHA Universal Pet Microchip Lookup by clicking here and entering the microchip number.
- Keep the animal at your house until the owner is found and file an online found animal report.
- Search our online lost pet pages to see if the animal has been reported missing.
- Check social media sites
- Lost Dogs Illinois. This site is a group of volunteers who saw the need to provide education for dog owners on preventing the loss of their dog and to provide no cost resources to the owners of lost dogs to increase the chances of locating and being successfully reunited with their dog.
- Craigslist. Some members of the community will post lost and found animals on Craigslist.
- Local newspapers are still a great resource for getting information out in your community.
- If the animal was found in City Limits
- If the animal was found within city limits, you MUST contact the local city’s police department. The police will handle the matter and will contact KCAC for assistance when necessary. If you are a resident of Elgin or Aurora, your city’s animal control facility should be your first point of contact.
- If the animal was found in unincorporated Kane County
- If the animal is contained within your yard or at your house, you may call KCAC at 630-232-3555 to arrange a pickup or drop-off of the animal.
Keep In Mind
Many animals now have a microchip implanted under the skin that is a permanent form of identification. This unique number can only be read with a microchip scanner, like those found at your local veterinary clinics.
Because of Illinois microchip laws, KCAC will only scan animals that have been received and checked into our facility. KCAC checks all animals received at our facility with a universal scanner to ensure no microchips are missed.
If you are successful in locating the pet’s owner, please call KCAC at 630-232-3555 so we can close out this pet’s lost and/or found report.
NOTE: KCAC reserves the right to remove any reports found to contain profanity and/or abusive language and/or inappropriate pictures. Pictures MUST be representative of the animal they are showing so other members of the public can identify the animal. Pictures MUST include the face of the animal and any significant markings to help with identification. Reports not meeting these criteria will be removed and not posted as they do not meet the standards of KCAC.
When returning an animal to someone it is recommended that you meet at a public location, like the Kane County Sheriff’s office or a local police department.