I Found An Animal

Santa Fe Animal Shelter houses and provides care for stray pets brought in from the field by County of Santa Fe Animal Services and City of Santa Fe Animal Services. Santa Fe Animal Shelter is not an enforcement agency.

If You Have Found a Healthy Dog

Get ready to be a hero! Studies show that most stray dogs are found within just 1 mile of their home, so if you’ve found a stray dog, a guardian is probably already looking for it!

Before you come to the shelter or call animal control, try to reunite the dog with its guardian. You can check for ID tags and have the dog scanned for a microchip at a local veterinary clinic to see if it has an owner that it can be reunited with right away.

If the dog has no ID tags or microchip, here are some things to try before you bring the dog to the shelter or call animal control:

  • Take the dog on a walk – or for a drive in your car – around the neighborhood.
  • Listen for a guardian calling for their dog.
  • Ask any neighbors, postal carriers, or utility workers in the area if they know where the dog lives.
  • Check out the Community Lost & Found Pets Page to see if an owner is looking for their dog. If the animal is not on this page, submit a Found Pet Report here.
  • Create a simple flyer and post it around the neighborhood where you found the dog.
  • Create a social media post that includes a photo and description of the dog as well as the location of where you found it. Try posting on your own social media accounts along with Nextdoor and the Santa Fe NM Lost & Found Pets Facebook page.
  • Post a photo of the dog as found on Petco Love Lost and PawBoost.
  • Consider keeping the lost dog in your home until the owner is found. You can do so by calling our Animal Resource Center (ARC) team and letting them know you want to be part of our StrayCation Program: 505.983.4309 ext. 1606. The process only takes about 20 minutes and saves lives!

If You Have Found a Healthy Adult Cat

Most “stray” cats aren’t actually lost – they simply live indoors and outdoors – and will make their way home on their own. It’s best to leave a healthy adult cat where it’s at and avoid accidentally catnapping your neighbor’s cat!

If you think a guardian is looking for their cat, please check for ID tags and have the cat scanned for a microchip at a local veterinary clinic to see if it has an owner that it can be reunited with right away.

If you have found an ear-tipped cat (part of one of the tips of its ear is missing) and if the cat appears healthy, it is a community cat that is already being looked after by one or more people in your neighborhood. Trapping an ear-tipped cat and bringing it to the shelter is extremely stressful and dangerous for the cat. Please leave a healthy, ear-tipped cat right where it’s at!

If the cat has no ID tags or microchip, here are some things to try before you bring the cat to the shelter or call animal control:

  • Most cats don’t roam more than 6-7 houses from where they live. Walk or drive around the neighborhood to see if anyone is looking for their cat.
  • Ask any neighbors, postal carriers, or utility workers in the area if they know where the cat lives.
  • Check out the Community Lost & Found Pets Page to see if an owner is looking for their cat. If the animal is not on this page, submit a Found Pet Report here.
  • Create a simple flyer and post it around the neighborhood where you found the cat. You can use this template for the flyer.
  • Create a social media post that includes a photo and description of the cat as well as the location of where you found it. Try posting on your own social media accounts along with Nextdoor and the Santa Fe NM Lost & Found Pets Facebook page.
  • Post a photo of the cat as found on Petco Love Lost and PawBoost.
  • Consider keeping the lost cat in your home until the owner is found. You can do so by calling our Animal Resource Center (ARC) team and letting them know you want to be part of our StrayCation Program: 505.983.4309 ext. 1606. The process only takes about 20 minutes and saves lives!

If You Have Found a Kitten

Look for mom.
Mom cat is probably nearby, but to make sure, sprinkle white flour in a circle around the kitten nest to look for her paw prints. If mom doesn’t return within 12-24 hours, they may need assistance.

Leave the kittens where they are.
If they’re not in immediate danger, unweaned kittens should be left outside so the mother cat can care for them. If they must be moved, place them in a crate or opened box, but don’t change their location.

Consider fostering the kittens.
If mom cat has abandoned the kittens and you decide to care for them, we help provide resources for fostering. Give us a call at 505.983.4309 ext. 1606.

Get the kittens spayed and neutered.
Santa Fe Animal Shelter offers public spay & neuter for owned and community cats.

Found kittens outside and don’t know what to do? Here are resources to help you with next steps:

If You Have Found a Healthy, Domestic Critter

Domestic critters may include pet guinea pigs, hamsters, rodents, birds and reptiles. Please have the critter scanned for a microchip at a local veterinary clinic to see if it has an owner that it can be reunited with right away. Critters, especially birds and reptiles, are often microchipped.

If the critter does not have a microchip, here are some things to try before you bring the animal to the shelter:

  • Check out the Community Lost & Found Pets Page to see if an owner is looking for their critter. If the animal is not on this page, submit a Found Pet Report here.
  • Create a simple flyer and post it around the neighborhood where you found the critter.
  • Create a social media post that includes a photo and description of the critter as well as the location of where you found it. Try posting on your own social media accounts along with Nextdoor and the Santa Fe NM Lost & Found Pets Facebook page.
  • Post a photo of the critter as found on PawBoost.
  • Consider keeping the lost critter in your home until the owner is found. You can do so by calling our Animal Resource Center (ARC) team and letting them know you want to be part of our StrayCation Program: 505.983.4309 ext. 1606. The process only takes about 20 minutes and saves lives!

Do You Still Need Assistance?

If you still need assistance, County of Santa Fe Animal Services and City of Santa Fe Animal Services contract with the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and will intake lost or stray animals at no cost. For more information on these taxpayer-supported services, please call city animal services at 505.955.2708 or county animal services at 505.992.1626.