Found a Stray Animal?
PACC is Pima County’s only open-admission shelter. We take in every pet in need who comes to our doors, including about 10,000 stray cats and dogs every year.
Below is important information about what to do if you find a stray pet in Pima County or one of partner jurisdictions.
On any given day, PACC has 350 to 600 dogs on site. As an open-admissions shelter, we accept stray dogs at any time during our operating hours. There are ways you can help get stray dogs home without bringing them to the shelter!
Stray dogs:
- Get the dog scanned to check for a microchip. You can take stray pets to almost any vet in Tucson and they will scan for a microchip. If you can identify the dog, you can help return it without it having to come
to the shelter!
- Check the license. If the dog is wearing a Pima County license, you can call our Dispatch line at 724-5900, extension 4 to find out the owner name and contact information to get the dog home quickly.
- File a FOUND report. You can call our Pet Support Center at 724-7222 to file a found a report. You can also come to PACC during open hours and file a report in person.
- Bring the dog to the PACC Pet Support Center during open hours. You can bring stray dogs to PACC Mondays – Fridays from noon to 7 p.m. or Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Owner surrenders are available by appointment only but stray intake does not require an appointment.
- Hold the pet in your home: In most cases, finders will be given the option to hold the found pet for one week in order to increase its chances of being reunited with its family. Found dogs brought to PACC will be vaccinated and micro-chipped. Finders who choose to hold the dog will be offered supplied including food, a crate and a leash and collar. If you find a dog and house that dog in your home, you can choose to bring the dog in at any time during PACC’s open hours and PACC will intake it.
Stray cats:
If you see healthy stray cats and kittens, whether they’re friendly or ‘feral,’ it means someone is caring for them and they live in the community. If they have a tipped ear, it means they’ve been sterilized and vaccinated. If you noticed unsterilized cats in your community, you can visit our
community cats page to learn more about trap-neuter-return services for community cats.
Found kittens:
If you find a kitten, please visit our
Found Kittens page to learn how to help keep kittens with their moms and out of the shelter!
Sick or injured stray cats or dogs:
If you find a sick or injured stay pet, please bring it to PACC during open hours or call Dispatch at
724-5900 extension 4 to receive an immediate response. 25% of the pets who enter PACC have critical or urgent medical needs.