Lost & Found

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Lost & Found Pets

Call the shelter immediately to do a lost report, don’t wait to see if your animal will come back.  You can also post their picture on social media websites to help get the word out about your missing pet — always include where they were lost and how they can get a hold of you.  We also encourage you to visit the shelter and look at our current stray animal population to ensure your animal has not come to us as a stray, you can check in with a staff member at the front desk and they will assist you with visiting our Stray Center.  While LCHS does its best to reunite families with their pets, it is the responsibility of the pet owner to continue to ensure the pet is not at our facilities.

If you have found a pet during open hours you can bring the animal down to the shelter to have them scanned for a microchip.

If you have found a dog while the shelter is closed, you can contact Lewis & Clark County Animal Control at the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency phone number 406-447-8235. You can also post the pet’s picture on social media websites to help get the word out about the animal- always include where they were found and how to get a hold of you.

Roaming Neighborhood Cats

While it may be concerning to see a cat(s) roaming your neighborhood, we recommend leaving these cats where they are unless they appear sick, injured, or pregnant.  If the cat appears healthy, it may have a home nearby.  Nationwide, less than 2% of stray cats brought to shelters are reunited with their owners.

We understand that free-roaming cats can cause problems; however, instead of displacing an owned cat from their family and neighborhood, here are some other options to try first:

  1. Talk to Neighbors: Start by asking around your neighborhood to see if anyone recognizes the cat. Cats often have larger roaming areas than we expect, and their owner might live just a few houses away.
  2. Post Online: Share a photo and description of the cat on local community boards, social media groups, or neighborhood apps. This can quickly reach a wider audience and help identify if the cat has a home.
  3. Use a Paper Collar: We can provide you with a paper collar to place on the cat. These collars will give instructions on how to use them, and they’ve already proven successful! 
  4. Monitor the Cat’s Condition: If the cat looks healthy and well-fed, it’s a good sign they’re doing fine outdoors. Keep an eye on them to see if they’re still around or if their condition changes, of course if they become sick or injured we are here to help.
  5. Provide Outdoor Shelter: If you’re concerned about the weather, we have an easy guide on building a simple outdoor shelter that cats love. It can offer them extra comfort without disrupting their familiar environment. But most cats are adapted to Montana’s tough winters.