If your pet is wearing I.D. with your phone number make sure your answering machine is on and working in case someone found your pet and is trying to reach you.

Search the neighborhood surrounding your home as your pet may not have traveled very far.  Ask your neighbors (especially children who often notice stray animals when they're out playing) if they have seen an animal matching your pet's description.

Come to the San José Animal Care Center as soon as possible.  Our Animal Service Officers pick-up many lost pets every day and they may have already picked up yours.  When you come to our facility you should look through our Lost  & Found Pet binder, search on our Touchscreen Virtual Shelter and tour through our kennels and cages (Lost Pet Tours are given Tuesday-Saturday 11am - 6:30pm & Sunday 11am - 4:30pm).   If you did not find your pet, fill out a Lost Pet Report (click here to download a lost dog, lost cat, or lost small animal report) and file it with our front counter staff who will record and display it.  You can also search for your pet here online.  However, please do not rely solely on the website photos as picture quality can vary.  Animals are often hard to distinguish from one another, especially solid-colored animals who often look alike.  To search for your lost pet now, click here.  **Please note it is often difficult to sex our incoming cats therefore when searching for your cat, DO NOT indicate a preference for the gender.**

Make "Lost Pet" signs and post them around your neighborhood and on bulletin boards in local grocery stores, etc.  Include your pet's name, description and photograph.  Make tabs at the bottom of your sign with your name and number in-between dotted lines.  Cut the dotted lines so that if someone has seen your pet, he or she can easily tear it off and take it with them.  Click here to download a Lost Poster you are welcome to use.

Have specific questions to ask callers claiming to have your pet (think scars, floppy ear, etc.) to distinguish your pet from a similar animal.  Never put these peculiar features on your sign, as unfortunately there are unscrupulous people who may try to extort reward money.

Advertise in local newspapers.  Some even offer free lost pet advertisements.  The San Jose Mercury News Classifieds phone number is (408) 920-5111.

Check the "Found Pet" columns in your local newspaper daily.

There are many sites on the internet you can check.  Just type in "Lost Pets" or "Missing Pets" to your favorite search engine.

Don't give up hope!!  Some pets go missing for weeks, sometimes even months, before they are found by their owner/guardians.