Lost and Found Animal Services

We are here to assist with lost and found animals Noon-6:00 pm daily. Please see our regular business hours for holiday hours or closures. 

For assistance with lost and found animals outside of regular hours, appointments are preferred. For assistance, or to make an appointment, please contact us at 360.213.2621 or [email protected].

For more information, please follow the links below. 

Found Pets in our Care Report a Lost or Found Pet Found Pets in our Community Report a Stray Pet

Stray Cat and Kitten Admission

Throughout the year, it is common for HSSW to meet or exceed our capacity to care for stray and lost cats. During these times, we will limit our intake to prioritize resources and care to those with the greatest need.

Current Feline Admission Status:
Level 3 - At or Exceeding Available Space

Level 1 | Space Available - Accepting healthy and sick or injured lost cats & kittens
Level 2 | Space Limited - Accepting strays, with priority given to sick or injured lost cats & kittens
Level 3 | At or Exceeding Available Space - Only accepting sick or injured lost cats & kittens

Stray Cats  Stray Kittens Community Cats

Does that outdoor cat need your help? Learn more.

Is the cay you found lost or stray or a community cat? Find more information about how and when to cats and kittens in Clark County at the links below. And check out our blog post on community and stray cats.

Reporting Lost Pets

Please review the information below. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or call 360.213.2621.

• If You Lost a Pet...

  If your pet has been found and has been brought to HSSW or reported to us as a found pet, you will find them listed on our website. 

  Found Pets in our Care - these are pets who have been found by animal control or members of our community and brought to HSSW.
  Found Pets in our Community - these are pets who have been found in our community and are not at the shelter and are being cared for in someone's home. 

  Submit a Lost Pet Report so we can help keep an eye out.

  More strategies to help locate a lost pet include...

  • Notify your neighbors that your pet is missing – ask them to check their garage, shed, under their porch, etc.
  • Utilize local social media. Lost and found Facebook groups, Craigslist, and the NextDoor app are excellent ways to help spread the word. Active Facebook groups in our community include: SW Washington Lost & Found Pets and Lost & Found Pets of Vancouver, WA among others. 
  • Visit I Paw'd it Forward for more lost pet resources and to connect with their active community of animal lovers who help reconnect lost pets with their families.
  • Download a Lost Pet Poster to post around your neighborhood. Please be as detailed and descriptive as possible and include a photo of your pet.
  • Notify veterinary offices in your area. Ask them if they receive lost/stray pets in their clinic.
  • Make sure your contact information on your pet’s microchip is current. Adding a secondary contact and email address can help ensure you are reached when your pet is located.
  • Don’t give up! It can sometimes take a few months to locate a missing pet. Lost pet reports are kept for 30 days beyond your last visit to HSSW. It is important that you let us know that your pet is still missing and that you are actively looking for him/her.

  Problems with the online form? You can download and print a copy of the Lost Pet Report. The form must be brought to the shelter in person during regular business hours. Please also include a current photo of your pet.

• Lost/Stray Procedures

  Animals reported as lost or stray are held for 3 days (without ID or microchip) or 5 days (if found with ID or microchip.) During that time, our staff actively call any available contact information available from licenses, ID, or microchip found on the animal. When a stray hold expires, animals will receive an evaluation and may be made available for adoption.

  As a licensing agent for Clark County, our staff is required to issue a license to any unlicensed animal being redeemed at our shelter. Licensing fees apply. Licensing and redemption fees are assessed by Clark County; HSSW staff are unable to reduce or waive fees. Learn more about licensing fees in Clark County.

• Keeping a Lost Pet Safe

  Our pets can be escape artists. And even the most prepared family may find themselves searching for a lost pet. A few important measures can help to find a lost pet and give you peace of mind if they wander. 

  • Microchip your pet. A microchip acts as an added insurance policy and will help reunite lost animals with their owners, even if the animal somehow slips their collar. At HSSW, all animals are microchipped before adoption. Microchip services can be obtained at your family vet or in our community at clinics with Good Neighbor Vet. 
  • Have your pet wear a collar, ID, and license. This ensures that your pet can be traced back and returned to you.
  • As a licensing agent for Clark County, our staff is required to issue a license to any unlicensed animal being redeemed at our shelter. License your pet.
  • Spay/neuter your pet. Neutering helps to reduce a pet's instinct to roam and helps solve the overpopulation problem.
  • Keep cats indoors. Make sure your cat stays inside unless on a harness/leash or in a supervised area.
  • Fence your yard if practical. Make sure when your dog is outside it is in a fenced yard or on a leash.

Reporting Found Pets

If you find a pet in your neighborhood, please notify us so we can help locate its family.  Admission of stray cats is limited to only cats who are sick, injured, or in immediate danger. Learn more here.

• If You Found a Pet...

  It's important to report found pets immediately. Not only is their family worried about them, they could be dependent on medication, special food, or other treatments. Timely reporting is essential. 

  • Email [email protected] with questions or bring the animal to the shelter during regular business hours. 
  • Complete a Found Pet Report so our staff can keep the details on file. Doing so will help us provide information to families calling us to search for their lost pet. You may choose to keep the animal at your home while still looking for the owner, but you are expected to report the pet as lost.
  • Utilize local social media. Lost and found Facebook groups, Craigslist, and the NextDoor app are excellent ways to help spread the word.
  • Have the animal scanned for a microchip. You can do this at the Humane Society or your local vet. If a microchip is found, the owner can be contacted immediately.
  • Notify your neighbors. They may have information that can help. 
  • Post a Found Pet Poster in the area where you found the animal.

Petco Love Lost

HSSW is a registered partner with Petco Love Lost - a free and easy way to search 200K+ lost and found pets to help them return home.

The Petco Love Lost database includes pets reported lost or found by individuals as well as thousands of shelter partners across the country. By uploading a photo of your lost or found pet and reporting it in their system, that pet will be visible to owners searching for their pet – making happy pet reunions just a few clicks away.

Click the link below to submit your lost or found pet and find more resources to help unite pets with their families.

Petco Love Lost

Reporting Stray Animals and Welfare Concerns

To report a pet at large or animal welfare concern, please contact your local animal control agency. We accept stray animals from: Vancouver, Camas (dogs only), Washougal (dogs only), Ridgefield, Battle Ground, La Center, and unincorporated areas of Clark County. Please review the information below to find your local animal control agency. 

• Animal Protection and Control Services

  Animal welfare concerns including: negligence, abuse, noise violations, and lost/stray animals should be reported to the agency responsible that jurisdiction. Please see below.

  City of Vancouver and unincorporated Clark County

  Clark County Animal Protection & Control - Provides animal control services for the unincorporated areas of Clark County as well as the City of Vancouver. 
  Concerns/Reports - 564.397.2488
  Licensing - 564.394.2489

  Animal concerns in other Clark County cities and jursidictions

  Camas/Washougal Animal Control - 360.835.9701
  Battle Ground Animal Control - 360.342.5100
  Yacolt Town Hall - 360.686.3922
  Ridgefield Police Department - 360.887.3556
  La Center Police Department - 360.263.2745

  I Paw'd it Forward

  I Paw'd if Forward is nonprofit organization that provides support for lost and found pet services and adoptable pets in the greater Clark County area. They offer trapping and tracking for lost dogs, chip scanning, on-call support, help reunite lost pets with their families, and more. They partner with both HSSW and Clark County Animal Control to help ensure our community is safe for pets in need. You can learn more about their services at ipawditforward.org.

  Animal emergencies

  For emergency concerns or support, please dial 311.

Redemption Fees and Licensing

In Clark County, redemption and licensing fees are set by the county or jurisdiction in which the pet was found. HSSW is a contracted agent to provide care and shelter to stray and lost animals. Fees cannot be adjusted by HSSW staff.

• Redemption Process

  Our staff will accompany pet owners into our lost/stray pet area for in-person identification. If a pet is identified by the owner, we require additional verification of ownership to help ensure we are safely reuniting a pet with its family. The most common form of verification is microchip registration. If microchip registration is unavailable, additional forms of verification may be provided. 

  • County license information registered to the pet
  • One or more recent photos (preferably from multiple angles or including unique markings) to help identify the pet
  • Vet records of the pet

  If the above methods of verification are unavailable, our team can provide additional support to assist with other methods of verification. If you have any questions, contact our team in advance at the information above or in person when reclaiming your pet.

  Once ownership has been verified, the person reclaiming the pet will need to provide a valid identification (photo ID preferred) and pay any applicable redemption and licensing fees. 

• Redemption Fees

  Fees are charged upon redemption according to the location where the animal was found. All fees are set by municipal code to help cover the cost of impounding stray animals. All animals received as lost/stray will incur impoundment and boarding fees. Transportation, medical and licensing fees may also apply.

  HSSW is not able to waive or adjust fees without authorization from the Manager of Clark County Animal Protection & Control. 

  Vancouver, Battle Ground, Ridgefield, and La Center

  Impoundment (in a 12-month period):
  1st impoundment - $25
  2nd impoundment - $50
  3rd or more impoundments - $100

  Boarding Fees:
  Charged daily until redemption, including the day the animal arrives
  $25/day - dogs, cats, small mammals

  Medical Fees:
  Charged when an animal requires immediate medical care during the stray holding period
  $50 (or actual costs incurred)

  Clark County

  Impoundment (in a 12-month period):
  1st impoundment - $40
  2nd impoundment - $65
  3rd or more impoundments - $115

  Boarding Fees:
  Charged daily until redemption, including the day the animal arrives
  $25/day - dogs, cats, small mammals
  $50/day - livestock

  Transportation Fees:
  Per animal, charged when the animal was brought to HSSW by a Clark County Animal Protection and Control Officer
  $50/day - dogs, cats, small mammals
  $50/day - livestock

  City of Camas

  Cats - Clark County impoundment fees apply
  Dogs - See Below

  Impoundment (in a 12 month period):
  1st impoundment - $40
  2nd or more impoundments - $55

  Boarding Fees:
  Charged daily until redemption
  $20/day

  Quarantine Boarding Fees
  $10/day
  *License fees must be paid via the City of Camas

  City of Washougal

  Cats - Clark County impoundment fees apply
  Dogs - See Below

  Impoundment (in a 12 month period):
  1st impoundment - $25
  2nd impoundment - $75
  3rd or more impoundments - $150

  Boarding Fees:
  Charged daily until redemption
  $25/day

  Quarantine Boarding Fees:
  $10/day
  *License fees must be paid via the City of Washougal

• Pet Licenses

  In Clark County and its inclusive cities, it is required by law that owned cats and dogs are licensed.

  As a licensing agent for Clark County, our staff is required to issue a license to any unlicensed animal being redeemed at our shelter. Licensing fees apply and include a nominal agent fee. Learn more about licensing at Clark County's Pet Licensing page or call 564.394.2489.

Questions? Need help? 
Admissions Team
360.213.2621 or [email protected]