The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Animal Control Bureau picks up and receives stray or lost animals found by members of our community.  If an animals comes to the shelter with identification such as a rabies tag, microchip or tattoo, we will make every effort to locate the owner.

If you have lost your pet, we strongly suggest that you come to the shelter and look through the animals in our kennels. After all, you know your pet best.  We hold animals only three days so you need to come to the shelter as soon as possible. There are certain areas of the shelter that are not open to the public; however, there is a kiosk in the lobby and you can use this to view all the animals housed in restricted areas.  We recommend you visit the shelter every three days.  The towns of Cornelius, Davidson, Huntersville and Matthews have their own Animal Control Officers so you should also check with them if you live in these towns. 

If you find a stray animal, you may either turn the animal in to us or file a found report.  You must do one or the other, otherwise an owner could never find his animal.  The found reports are kept in the lobby for owners to peruse and determine if someone may have their pets.  If you choose to try and find the owner yourself, please remember to check Lost & Found classified ads in newspapers and on local bulletin boards.