Lost & Found

Lost Pets

Animal Services holds stray animals for a 5-day period in which we are open to the public for at least 3 of those days. 

If you have lost a pet, please go to the link below for pets that are currently being housed at our shelter in Chapel Hill, NC:

  • Animals currently housed at OCAS (some of these pets have known owners and are not stray, but we list all pets to make sure any lost/found inquiries can be addressed properly)

Do you think your lost pet may be at our shelter? Contact us at 919-942-7387, option 2. Please leave a message if the staff is not able to answer right away, and someone will return your call as soon as possible.

Sometimes, people from our Orange County community find pets and hold them at their homes instead of bringing them into the Animal Services Center. If you believe one of these animals is your lost pet, please contact Animal Services (919-942-7387, option 2) so that we can help get you in touch with the other party.

Found Pets

If you have found a pet, it is a legal requirement to report it within 72 hours so that an owner has the highest likelihood possible to find it. Please have the pet scanned for a microchip. Most veterinary clinics will scan a found pet for a microchip. You may also call our shelter at 919-942-7387, option 2, to schedule a time for a found pet to be scanned. 

See if someone has reported the pet you found:

You may also check our database listings for lost pets in our area of North Carolina. 

Everyone does not list their pet with this service, so please also check other lost/found listing services and social media pages dedicated to lost & found pets.

Reporting Lost or Found Pets

For anyone in Orange County, North Carolina, or nearby area: 

Everyone: 

The more places you list a pet, the better your chances of success! Utilize these popular lost/found websites to file a report and search for pets that might match your lost or found pet: 

*The following websites are not maintained by Orange County Animal Services, NC...

*PETCO LOVE LOST     

Petco Love Lost Opens in new window



*PAWBOOST     


Do you need to speak with someone about a lost or found pet? Contact us at 919-942-7387, option 2. Please leave a message if the staff is not able to answer right away, and someone will return your call as soon as possible.