Found a Stray Dog or Cat in Calgary

Found a pet? Start here

Only secure the animal if you can do it safely. A scared dog can bite. Lure with food, do not chase.
If it is a cat outside, first ask whether it is actually lost. Many outdoor cats are owned or community cats (see below).
Check for an ID tag, then get the animal scanned for a microchip at a vet, Animal Services, or the Humane Society.
Report it: within Calgary, call 311 and take it to the Animal Services Centre (2201 Portland St SE), or after hours to the nearest vet clinic.
Post on the YYC Pet Recovery Facebook page and file a found-pet report on PawBoost.

Finding a stray is stressful, and the instinct to scoop the animal up and sort it out later is strong. A few right moves in the first hour make the difference between a quick reunion and a pet that never gets home, or, with cats, between helping and accidentally taking someone's outdoor cat. Here is the Calgary finder's playbook.

Step 1: Secure the Animal, Safely

Your safety comes first. A strange, frightened, or possibly injured animal can behave unpredictably. According to Humane World for Animals, a sudden move on your part can spook a stray and cause it to bolt, sometimes straight into traffic.

Do not chase or corner. Move slowly, keep your body side-on, and speak in a calm, low voice.
Lure with food. Strong-smelling food like canned tuna or dried liver gets a nervous animal to approach you on its own terms.
Do not risk a bite. If you cannot safely secure the animal, do not force it. Call 311 and Calgary Animal Services will help, including picking up an injured animal.
Contain a dog in a fenced yard, a vehicle, or on a slip lead once it is calm. For a cat, a carrier or a quiet room works, but first read the cat section below.

Step 2: Check for ID and Get It Scanned

Look for a collar and tag first; a City of Calgary licence tag or an owner ID tag can reunite the pet in minutes. Whether or not there is a tag, the next step is a microchip scan.

Calgary Animal Services, the Calgary Humane Society, and most veterinary clinics can scan a found animal, and a vet will usually do it at no charge. The scan reveals an ID number, not the owner's contact details. That number is then entered at petmicrochiplookup.org to find which registry the chip is enrolled with, and the registry reaches the owner. If you cannot get to a scanner right away, reporting the animal to Animal Services (Step 3) means their staff will scan it on intake.

The Cat Question: Is It Actually a Stray?

This is the step people skip, and it matters. A cat outdoors is not automatically a lost cat. Many are owned cats that are allowed out, and many are cared-for community cats. Removing one of those is not a rescue, it is taking someone's cat. Before you intervene with a healthy, approachable cat, run these checks:

Look at the ears. A clipped, flat-tipped ear is the universally recognized sign of a spayed or neutered community cat in a managed colony, per Alley Cat Allies. An ear-tipped cat has a caretaker. Leave it where it is.
Try the paper-collar test. Humane World for Animals recommends fitting a friendly cat with a paper or breakaway collar that has a note asking the owner or caretaker to contact you. If someone reaches out, the cat is not a stray.
Read the body condition. A cat in good weight that only turns up sometimes is almost certainly being fed at another home. A truly lost or abandoned cat is more often thin, frightened, and out of place.

If after these checks the cat seems genuinely lost or in distress, then treat it as a found pet and move to reporting and scanning. A sick, injured, or kitten-aged cat needs help regardless.

Step 3: Report It the Right Way in Calgary

Inside Calgary: City Animal Services (311)

Per the City of Calgary, a cat or dog found within city limits should be taken to the Animal Services Centre at 2201 Portland Street SE, or after hours to the nearest veterinary clinic. Call 311 to report it (403-268-2489 from outside Calgary). For an injured animal, call 311 and Animal Services will come pick it up.

Outside city limits or an exotic pet: Calgary Humane Society

The Calgary Humane Society handles cats and dogs found outside Calgary city limits, and exotic pets found anywhere in the region. Their recognize-your-pet line is 403-723-6025.

The legal hold (why turning it in matters)

Calgary holds an impounded animal with ID (a licence tag, legible tattoo, or readable microchip) for 10 days, and an animal with no ID for only 4 days, before it is assessed for adoption. Reporting and turning the pet in is what puts it into the system the owner is checking. It is also the proper step legally: a found pet is someone's lost pet, and keeping it without reporting cuts the owner out.

Step 4: Post It So the Owner Sees It

Reporting to Animal Services covers the official channel. To reach the owner faster, post the found pet in the same places Calgary owners search when their pet goes missing:

YYC Pet Recovery (Facebook). Calgary's most active lost-and-found community reposts found pets across the city. Post a clear photo, the location and time you found the animal, and a way to contact you.
PawBoost. File a found-pet report at pawboost.com/report-found-pet. It alerts local members, posts to the area Facebook page, and generates a found-pet flyer.
Your community Facebook group and a couple of posters near where you found the animal. Most lost pets are found close to home, so the immediate neighbourhood is where the owner is looking.

Hold back one detail. When you post a found pet, keep one identifying feature out of the public post (a specific marking, the collar colour) and ask people to describe it. It confirms you are returning the pet to its actual owner, not someone claiming a free animal.

This Cuts Both Ways

Helping a found pet home is the same system that gets your own pet home if it ever slips out. The two things that make it work are a current microchip registration and a City licence, which together more than double the impound hold and let staff contact you directly. If your own pet is the one that is missing, start with our lost dog and lost cat action plans.

Frequently Asked Questions

I just found a stray dog or cat in Calgary. What do I do first?

If you can secure the animal safely, do so, but never put yourself at risk with a frightened or possibly injured animal. Check for an ID tag, then get it scanned for a microchip. Within Calgary city limits, report it to Calgary Animal Services by calling 311 and take the animal to the Animal Services Centre at 2201 Portland Street SE, or after hours to the nearest veterinary clinic. If the animal is injured, call 311 and Animal Services will pick it up and transport it to a clinic. Reporting it is what gives the owner a chance to find it.

Where can I get a found pet scanned for a microchip in Calgary?

Calgary Animal Services, the Calgary Humane Society, and most veterinary clinics can scan a found animal for a microchip, and vet clinics will usually do it at no charge. The scan reveals an ID number, not the owner’s details. You (or the clinic) then enter that number at petmicrochiplookup.org to find which registry the chip is enrolled with, and the registry contacts the owner. A microchip is the fastest way to reunite a found pet with its family, which is exactly why keeping your own pet’s chip registration current matters.

Can I keep a pet I found in Calgary?

The right thing to do is to report the animal and turn it in to Calgary Animal Services so the owner has a chance to reclaim it. A found pet is almost always someone’s lost pet, and skipping the reporting step can mean a frantic family never gets their animal back. Per the City of Calgary, an impounded animal with ID is held for 10 days, and without ID for 4 days; if no owner comes forward and it passes a health and behaviour assessment, it may then become available for adoption. Do not simply keep a found pet without reporting it.

I found a cat outside. Is it actually lost?

Often it is not, and this is the most important thing to check before you intervene. Many outdoor cats are owned cats that are allowed out, or cared-for community cats, not lost or abandoned. A clipped or "ear-tipped" ear is the universal sign of a spayed or neutered community cat that has a caretaker, so leave that cat where it is. For a friendly, healthy cat, put a paper or breakaway collar on it with a note asking the owner to contact you before you take it anywhere. A cat in good body condition that only shows up sometimes is very likely being fed at another home.

How do I safely catch a scared stray dog?

Do not chase or corner it. A strange, frightened, or injured dog can behave unpredictably, and a sudden move can make it bolt into traffic or bite. Move slowly, speak in a calm voice, and lure it toward you with strong-smelling food such as canned tuna or dried liver so it approaches on its own terms. If you cannot safely secure the dog, do not force it. Call 311 and Calgary Animal Services will help, and they will pick up an injured animal.

Where should I post a found pet in Calgary?

Start by reporting it to Calgary Animal Services at 311 so it is in the City system that lost owners check. Then post on the YYC Pet Recovery Facebook page, which reposts Calgary-area lost and found pets, and file a found-pet report on PawBoost (pawboost.com/report-found-pet), which alerts local members and creates a flyer. Include a clear photo, where and when you found the animal, and a way to reach you. For a pet found outside city limits, contact the Calgary Humane Society.

I found a pet outside Calgary city limits, or it is an exotic pet. Who do I call?

The Calgary Humane Society handles cats and dogs found outside Calgary city limits, as well as exotic pets such as rabbits, reptiles, and birds found anywhere in the region. For a cat or dog found inside Calgary city limits, the City of Calgary Animal Services is the right channel, reachable at 311. Getting the animal to the correct organization is what connects it to the database the owner is searching.

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