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Lost & Found Cats & Dogs Resources in Colorado

COLORADO LOST & FOUND DOGS & CATS

Visit our Facebook Page to see the latest posts of lost and found cats & dogs in Colorado. Feel free to post on the page if you have lost or found your pet.

COLORADO LOST & FOUND PETS FACEBOOK PAGE

The page is constantly being updated. You can also help other pet owners by sharing the photos you find there and sharing this page. A good samaritan on Craigslist gathered these resources for finding lost animals and we are sharing them below. Remember time is important. Look everywhere, every day!

UPDATED HOW TO FIND YOUR LOST PETS POST IS HERE!

READ THROUGH MORE TIPS BY CLICKING THE LINKS BELOW:

Tips for finding Lost Pets from the Dumb Friends League

Lost & Found Pet Resources in Colorado

Colorado Springs – What To Do

Lost Cat Tips – from Lisa Martin

National Lost & Found Pet Resources

Missing Pet Partnership – Resources, tips and ideas

Helping Lost Pets – lets you put your lost or found pet on a national map, creates posters to print and share online. It also prompts you monthly to see if you’ve had any leads or updates on your pets possible location.

DOUGLAS COUNTY COLORADO

Douglas County has started listing the found on PetHarbor.com– (and start on the left side of the webpage ) after you bring up the list you can click on the white square for more color descriptions and double-check those listings. Petharbor also has a found by public list at the bottom of a shelter list after you bring up any this area shelter list.
Douglas County Sheriff Found Animals phone 303 660 7529 and Parker is now able to take Found pets to the Buddy Center in Castle Rock.

JEFFERSON COUNTY COLORADO

Foothills Animal Shelter in Golden – If you live in that area, go and check in person too, it takes a couple of days to get them up on the website.
There are a list of animals found by the community here and it is a searchable listCheck here just in case http://www.foothillsanimalshelter.org/adopt FOOTHILLS ANIMAL SHELTER
580 McIntyre Street, Golden, CO  phone is 303 278 7575
HOURS mon-Fri 11 a.m.-7 p.m. /and Sat & Sun 10 a.m. 6 p.m.

BOULDER COUNTY COLORADO

Boulder Humane Society click here to register your lost petAlso check adoptable Dogs and adoptable Cats
BOULDER HUMANE SOCIETY
2323 55th St. Boulder CO
303 442 4030 HOURS
11am-7pm on weekdays /and 10am-5pm 0n weekendsCheck the Longmont Humane Society Adoptable Pets Here
Maxfund Adoptable DogsMaxfund Adoptable CatsYou pet might end up as adoptable if someone found it and wasn’t able to locate YOU the animals owners.
Maxfund has two shelters
Dog shelter – 1025 Galapago St. Denver, CO  phone is 303 595 4917
Cat shelter – 720 W.10th Ave in Denver, CO phone is 720 266 6081Good Samaritan Pet Center 

AURORA COLORADO ADAMS/ARAPAHOE COUNTY

City of Aurora Found Pets & Livestock – checklist daily
City of Aurora Adoptable PetsTime is of the essence here.. this is NOT a NO KILL Shelter.
Aurora Animal Shelter 15750 E. 32nd Ave in Aurora, CO Call 303 326 8280
KENNEL HOURS: MON-FRI 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and SAT 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

DENVER CITY & COUNTY

Click on the Denver Animal Shelter website here.

From this page you can search lost & found and adoptable pets. You can also register your pet as lost.

DENVER ANIMAL SHELTER 1241 W. Bayaud Ave in Denver, CO 720 913 1311
Lost and Found & adoption Hours are mon-fri 10:30am-6pm / Sat & Sun 10am-4:30pm /closed holidays

Denver Dumb Friends League Lost & Found List

You can search both facilities from this page

ARAPAHOE COUNTY / LITTLETON

Humane Society of South Platte Valley
Click here for Lost & Found Pets 

Adoptable Dogs
Adoptable Cats

HUMANE SOCIETY OF SOUTH PLATTE VALLEY
2129 West Chenango Ave., Littleton, CO
(303)703-2938

ADAMS COUNTY

Adams County Animal Shelter uses PetHarbor to list it’s found animals. Always a great resource. Enter the zip code and description.It’s always a good idea to double-check the shelter in person if you live in the area.
ADAMS COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER
10705 Fulton, Brighton CO
303 288 3294

Colorado Springs has a very active group of pet rescuers. If you have lost or found a pet and live in that area you should also check their Facebook page here.

COLORADO SPRINGS LOST PET ALERT ON FACEBOOK

Please remember to look for pets with a similar description to yours. The whole reason I wrote the Guide to Alley Cats by Color article. People were posting they’d lost their calico cat, and it wasn’t a calico cat it was a tabby, or a tortie, etc. My Dobby Dog is mistaken for a Rottie & and a Doberman all the time… he is neither, so don’t disregard a notice for a shepherd just because yours is a lab. If it’s close, check it out.

DDFL List of Colorado Shelters

We have 3 famous lost dogs in the Denver Metro area that I always keep a lookout for.

How to find your lost cat: Lost feline recovery tips

Did you lose your cat? Missing Pet Partnership has some great descriptions of individual cat “types” why they might take off how far they might go and where they might hide. We’ve posted a bit of their article to give you some ideas

HOW TO FIND YOUR MISSING CAT

FINDING OUTDOOR-ACCESS LOST CATS

Cats are territorial. When an outdoor-access cat suddenly vanishes, it means that SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED to that cat to interrupt its normal behavior of coming home. The disappearance could mean that the cat is injured, trapped, or deceased within its territory. Or perhaps the cat was transported out of the area either intentionally (by an irate neighbor who trapped the cat) or unintentionally (by the cat climbing into an open vehicle). Possibly the cat was displaced into unfamiliar territory (something as simple as being chased by a dog several houses away) causing it to panic and hide in silence.

The investigative question when an outdoor-access cat disappears is: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE CAT?

HOW TO FIND YOUR INDOOR-ONLY LOST CAT WHEN IT GETS LOST

The territory for an indoor-only cat is the inside of the home where it lives. When an indoor-only cat escapes outdoors, it is “displaced” into unfamiliar territory. Usually, they will look for the first place that will offer concealment and protection. Their instinctive response is to HIDE IN SILENCE because that is their primary protection from predators. How long they remain in that hiding place and what they do from there is dependent upon their temperament. The investigative question when an indoor-only cat escapes outdoors is: WHERE IS THE CAT HIDING?

FELINE TEMPERAMENTS THAT INFLUENCE DISTANCES TRAVELED BY LOST CATS

Temperament influences actions. How a cat behaves when in its normal territory will influence how it behaves when it becomes “lost” or displaced into unfamiliar territory. In addition to posting flyers and checking the cages of local shelters, encourage cat owners to develop a search strategy based on the specific behavior of their cat.

WHICH CAT PERSONALITY BEST MATCHES YOUR CATS? 

  • CURIOUS/CLOWN CAT – These are gregarious cats that get into trouble easily, run to the door to greet a stranger, and are not easily afraid of anything.
  • CARE-LESS CAT – These aloof cats don’t seem to care much about people.
  • CAUTIOUS CAT – These cats are generally stable but they show occasional shyness.
  • CATATONIC/XENOPHOBIC CAT – Xenophobia means “fear or hatred of things strange or foreign.”

OWNER BEHAVIORS THAT CREATE PROBLEMS

Cat owners often behave in ways that actually inhibit their chances of finding their lost cat.

RESCUER BEHAVIORS THAT CREATE PROBLEMS

One of the most tragic misinterpretations of feline behavior occurs when rescuers observe a cat with a xenophobic temperament and assume, based on the fearful behavior, that the cat is an untamed “feral.”

INDOOR CAT

Indoor-only cats are likely to be found very close to home; in fact, sometimes they are stuck or hiding INSIDE the home! 

They are most often found in or around the owner’s or an immediate neighbor’s home in the bushes, under the house, in a shed, under a deck, or some other hiding place. When they get out, indoor cats tend to be quiet and fearful and to hunker down and not emerge, even to the sound of the owner’s voice. We have counseled owners in many cases where they were calling and shaking the food bag right next to where the cat was hiding, but there was no response. 

Indoor cats are in danger of being labeled as feral in a shelter environment because they are not socialized to other people and environments and will likely hiss, strike, and display other “wild” behavior when stressed. This is why it is critical to get them back in their homes as quickly as possible.  

OUTDOOR CAT

Outdoor-access cats are also typically found close to home, but farther than the indoor cat, sometimes 2-3 blocks away. 

The reason for an outdoor-access cat’s disappearance is usually that he is ill or injured, stuck, or has been displaced (chased by people, another pet, or a wild animal). 

“Curiosity killed the cat” is an unfortunately true adage that leads cats to explore in places like inside a vehicle, in a tool shed or other building, or around outside obstacles.

Sometimes outdoor-access cats, especially those who have been missing a long time, will turn up at other people’s homes or in colonies of free-roaming cats. They will naturally look for things familiar and comforting to them like food, water, shelter, and other cats. This is why it is important for people who notice a new cat to ask around and check lost reports at their local shelter and not make an assumption that the cat was abandoned.  

SHY CAT

 Shy cats will hide and avoid people for very long periods of time. We have experienced many cases where cats hid for days or even weeks and miraculously survived after being found, although with kidney damage and other medical issues as a result of starvation and dehydration. This is why it is critical to get these cats back home as quickly as possible and to encourage owners to not give up. After days or weeks of searching, the owner may give up, believing their cat is dead when he is still hiding (or stuck) nearby and in need of medical attention.    

OUTGOING CAT

The outgoing cat may be vocal and approach people, even following them home. Because of this, he may travel away from his own home then become disoriented and unable to find his way back. Such outgoing cats are in danger of being taken in and kept by finders who mean well but assume the cat has been abandoned. 

© 2007 Missing Pet Partnership. All rights reserved.

Cats are often miscategorized by both their owners and/or the rescue as to what they might be called. About half the time I look at a picture of a “Calico” cat it’s actually a “Tortie” Be sure to look through our list of how to identify your alley cat here.

KNOWING YOUR CAT’S PERSONALITY CAN HELP YOU WITH IT’S RECOVERY!

Lost cats require immediate attention and knowing something about cat personalities can help you locate your missing cat sooner rather than later — or not at all.

Cats are very territorial creatures. In unfamiliar territory, lost cats usually look for the first place that offers concealment and protection. They instinctively and silently hide to protect themselves from predators. How long they remain in that hiding place and what they do when they emerge depends entirely upon their temperament. If you have a missing cat, don’t wait to see if she returns. Start searching immediately.

“If your pet has easy access to the outdoors and suddenly vanishes, ask yourself, ‘What’s happened?’” says pet detective Kat Albrecht, founder of Missing Pet Partnership in Clovis, California, and author of The Lost Pet Chronicles: Adventures of a Canine Cop Turned Pet Detective (Bloomsbury USA, 2004). “Cats have been known to curl up in an open car that subsequently drives away, or they can be chased from their home environment by a dog. When an indoors-only cat escapes out of the safety of home, the question is ‘Where is she hiding?’”

According to Albrecht, all cats fall into one of four types of cat personalities:

THE CURIOUS OR CLOWN CAT

With a gregarious personality, this curious feline will run to the door to greet a stranger, is generally unafraid, and consequently gets into trouble. When displaced, she will hide at first and then most likely begin to travel. She could easily get within a five-block radius of home quite quickly. Don’t assume she will come when called.

THE CARE-LESS CAT

This cat is aloof and doesn’t care for people. When a stranger is present, she tends to stand back and watch. When displaced, she’s likely to hide but eventually will break cover, attempt to come back home, and meow to be let in. There is the possibility, however, that she will travel larger distances.

THE CAUTIOUS CAT

Generally, a cautious cat likes people but is shy and will dart away to hide if a stranger comes to the door. Sometimes she’ll peek around the corner and slowly come out to investigate. When displaced, however, she will immediately hide in fear. If not scared out of hiding by people or other animals, she’s likely to return home on her own or meow to attract attention when her owner comes looking. This could happen within two days. But it could take as long as ten days before hunger or thirst prompts her to break cover. In Callie’s case, she found food at a feral feeding station set up by cat-loving volunteers quite close to her home and came out of hiding at night to eat.

THE XENOPHOBIC CAT

Xenophobia is a fear or hatred of anything strange or foreign. This fearful behavior is either part of a cat’s genetic make-up or the result of traumatic kittenhood experiences. The xenophobic cat will hide when a stranger comes into the home and will not come out until well after the company has left. She doesn’t enjoy being held or petted and is easily disturbed by any environmental changes. When displaced, she will bolt and hide in silence, remaining in the same hiding place, immobilized by fear. If someone other than her owner finds her, she could be mistaken as being wild and homeless, spitting and hissing out of fright. Sadly, as a result, xenophobic cats are often absorbed into the feral cat population.

HOW TO CATCH LOST CATS

In many instances, the best way of capturing a missing cat is with a humane baited trap. Cats have a very keen sense of smell. If you use a baited trap (which you can get at a feed store or hardware store), line it with towels that have a familiar “home smell” to entice her to go inside. You can even place some of her kitty litter inside as well.

When you make “lost” posters, don’t forget to include your cat’s personality traits, likes and dislikes, and include a telephone number where you can be reached at all times.

Ask your local animal shelter for help with traps or employ a pet detective with a search dog that is trained to detect cats to help retrieve your pet.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A MISSING CAT

It’s not easy to gauge a cat’s personality type if she’s sitting on a wall or on the sidewalk. Most lost cats will move to higher ground if approached by a stranger. If you think a cat in your neighborhood could possibly be displaced from its home, ask your local no-kill animal shelter to assist with a trap – unless she’s really friendly and will come to you. Make “found” posters and post them within a five-block radius of your home. Hopefully, you’ll be able to reunite the cat with its owner.

Sandy Robins is an award-winning pet lifestyle writer. Her work appears regularly on in various national and international publications. She is a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and the Cat Writers Association of America.

Visit our Lost & Found Facebook page here to see if someone has found your cat for you.

If you know of other resources, please post them in the comments below.