Found a Stray Dog or Cat in Edmonton

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 or the City's Animal Care & Control Centre.
Report it: within Edmonton, call 311 (or 780-442-5311 from outside the city) and book a found dog or found cat appointment with Animal Care & Control.
Check the City's public found-pet search, post on an Edmonton lost-and-found Facebook group, and file a 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 Edmonton finder's playbook.

A found stray dog being checked for a microchip and an ID tag — A quick scan for a microchip is the fastest way to reunite a found pet with its owner.

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 for guidance, including if the animal is injured.
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 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.

Any veterinary clinic can scan a found animal, usually at no charge, and the City's Animal Care & Control Centre scans every animal that enters and offers scanning appointments you can book online or through 311. 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 the City (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 Edmonton

Inside Edmonton: City Animal Care & Control (311)

For a cat or dog found within Edmonton, the City's Animal Care & Control is the right channel. Call 311 to report it (780-442-5311 from outside Edmonton), and use the City's online forms to book a found dog or found cat appointment. Strays found within Edmonton go to the Animal Care & Control Centre at 13550 163 Street.

Why not the Humane Society for an in-city find

The Edmonton Humane Society does not take found strays from within Edmonton. It directs in-city found pets to the City and only admits strays found outside Edmonton. For a pet found within city limits, contact the City's Animal Care & Control through 311.

The legal hold (why turning it in matters)

An impounded pet with no ID is held for up to 3 business days, while a pet with ID such as a tag, tattoo, or microchip is held for up to 10 business 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: 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 the City covers the official channel. To reach the owner faster, check the City's found-pet search and post in the same places Edmonton owners search when their pet goes missing:

The City's found-pet search. The City maintains a public found-pet listing at edmontonacccpets.shelterbuddy.com/search. Check it in case the owner has already filed a lost report.
Edmonton lost-and-found Facebook groups such as Edmonton Lost Pets and Edmonton and Area Lost Pets repost 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.

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 triple 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 Edmonton. 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. For a cat or dog found within Edmonton, contact the City’s Animal Care & Control by calling 311 (or 780-442-5311 from outside Edmonton). The City offers online appointment-booking forms for found dogs and found cats, and strays found within Edmonton go to the Animal Care & Control Centre at 13550 163 Street. Reporting it is what gives the owner a chance to find it. If the animal is injured, call 311 for guidance.

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

Any veterinary clinic can scan a found animal for a microchip, usually at no charge. The City’s Animal Care & Control Centre also scans every animal that enters and offers scanning appointments you can book online or through 311. 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 Edmonton?

The right thing to do is to report the animal and turn it in to the City’s Animal Care & Control 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. An impounded pet with no ID is held for up to 3 business days, while a pet with ID such as a tag, tattoo, or microchip is held for up to 10 business days, after which it is assessed 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 the City’s Animal Care & Control will help, and you can call 311 for guidance if the animal is injured.

Does the Edmonton Humane Society take found strays?

Not from within Edmonton. The Edmonton Humane Society directs in-city found pets to the City and only admits strays found outside Edmonton. So if you find a pet within Edmonton, contact the City’s Animal Care & Control through 311, not the Humane Society. Getting the animal to the correct organization is what connects it to the database the owner is searching.

Where should I post a found pet in Edmonton?

Start by reporting it to the City’s Animal Care & Control at 311 so it is in the system that lost owners check, then look at the City’s public found-pet search at edmontonacccpets.shelterbuddy.com/search to see if the owner has already reported the pet missing. Post on active Edmonton lost-and-found Facebook groups such as Edmonton Lost Pets or Edmonton and Area Lost Pets, and file a found-pet report on PawBoost (pawboost.com/report-found-pet). Include a clear photo, where and when you found the animal, and a way to reach you.

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