Lost and Found
Lost or Found a Pet?
AWA is committed to the best outcome for lost or found animals, but remember that we are not the first step in recovering a lost pet. We are not legally authorized to accept strays and must turn them over to the appropriate shelters corresponding with the townships in which they were found.
Please view the lost and found pets listed below. These pets are not being housed at AWA, so use the contact information included with the pet’s listing.
If you need help with trapping or transporting a pet, you can get the contact information from the appropriate animal control organization from your township or the shelter corresponding to your township on this list.
Independent Animal Control Services (856-718-0305) provides municipalities in Camden and Burlington counties with humane solutions for their animal control needs. IACS is comprised of New Jersey state certified animal control officers and animal cruelty investigators. Currently IACS provides municipal animal control services for 21 municipalities in Camden County and 2 municipalities in Burlington County. They are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week for animal related emergencies.
If you have lost a pet: There are several steps that you may take in the event that your pet goes missing.
- Call your local animal control office to report the lost animal. Municipal animal control offices are a central location for lost and found pet information and are usually the first place that a good Samaritan will look when he or she has taken in a stray pet. Municipal animal control offices also pick up and house stray pets. It’s also a good idea to physically visit your local animal control office to verify whether or not your pet is being housed there.
- Look on this page for a matching listing for your pet. This page is a shared database of lost/found pets reported to Animal Welfare Association, Animal Adoption Center, Camden County Animal Shelter and Voorhees Animal Orphanage. In South Jersey, specific animal shelters are responsible for lost and stray pets within corresponding townships. Be sure to contact the appropriate shelter if a match is found.
- Your pet may be at another shelter in the area. Be sure to contact all area shelters including Almost Home Animal Shelter, Burlington County Animal Shelter, Cumberland County SPCA and Gloucester County Animal Shelter.
- Call AWA at 856-424-2288 to list the pet this page, which is a shared database of lost/found pets in Camden County.
- Place flyers around your neighborhood and check with your neighbors to see if they have seen your pet.
- Place an ad in your local paper, Craigslist.com, Facebook and area shelters
- Check online lost and found pet websites such as craigslist.com or fidofinder.com . Local media sites also share lost pet information.
- Check with local veterinarians in case your pet has been injured and taken there.
Found Pets
Check the listings below to see found pets. These pets are not being housed at AWA. Please use the contact info listed with the pet.
If you have found a pet: There are several steps that you may take in the event that your pet goes missing.
- Call your local animal control office to report the found animal. Please be sure to report a detailed description of the found animal. Municipal animal control offices are a central location for lost and found pet information and usually are the first place that an owner will look when his or her pet has gone missing.
- Look on this page for a matching listing for the pet. This page is a shared database of lost/found pets reported to Animal Welfare Association, Animal Adoption Center, Camden County Animal Shelter and Voorhees Animal Orphanage. In South Jersey, specific animal shelters are responsible for lost and stray pets within corresponding townships. View the list here. Be sure to contact the appropriate shelter if a match is found.
- The pet’s owners may be searching at other area shelters. Be sure to contact all area shelters with a found report including Almost Home Animal Shelter, Burlington County Animal Shelter, Cumberland County SPCA and Gloucester County Animal Shelter.
- Call AWA at 856-424-2288 to list the pet this page, which is a shared database of lost/found pets in Camden County.
- Place flyers around your neighborhood and check with your neighbors to see if they know the pet’s owners.
- Place an ad in your local paper.
- Check online lost and found pet websites such as craigslist.com or fidofinder.com .
- Take the animal to a veterinarian or your local animal control office to be scanned for a microchip. If the pet appears to be in medical distress and needs emergency veterinary attention, please take him to identify the pet as a stray.
- If none of these steps help you locate the pet’s owners, you might consider making him a permanent part of your household (after you have reported him to animal control and held him for his requisite stray period during which time his owner has an opportunity to claim him). Stray periods are usually around 10 days, but vary by locality. If keeping the animal as a pet in your household is not possible, you may also contact your local animal control office, or another animal welfare organization to see if the pet can be admitted and placed for adoption. Always be sure to ask about any organization’s euthanasia policies.
How to prevent your pet from becoming lost
The best way to reduce the homeless pet population in our community is to prevent pets from becoming lost, and to reunite owners and pets as quickly as possible if they do become separated. We encourage all pet owners to properly identify their pets with engraved collars and microchips, even if they never go outdoors. Housecats and dogs that are kept carefully leashed and fenced can easily slip through an open door or gate.
Tips for keeping your pet from getting lost:
- Spay/neuter your animal as soon as possible. This will make it less likely to roam.
- Microchip your animal. This provides permanent identification, even if your pet escapes from your home or yard, slips out of its collar, or is stolen.
- Take a picture of your pet at least every other month to ensure you have an up-to-date photo to use if you need to create a flyer and internet posting.
- Commit to keeping your cat indoors only. Indoor/outdoor cats rarely live their natural lifespan due to the dangers of cars, disease, poison and injury.
- Consider dog training classes, especially if your dog is a “door darter” or escape artist.