816.683.1383 email Shop Staff Login
816.683.1383 email Shop Staff Login
Donate

If you have lost a pet, please visit the shelter located at 7077 Elmwood Avenue at your earliest available opportunity and check our Found Pets list.

Our shelter receives animals every day and one of them could be your pet. We are required to hold stray animals (animals that do not have an identified owner) for five days. After this five day holding period, any stray animal can be put up for adoption, transferred to another shelter, sent to rescue, put into a foster home, and in rare cases, euthanized (only if serious medical issues exist or there are issues of aggression). As the owner you are the best person to identify your own pet, therefore we cannot tell you with certainty whether your pet is here or not.

Tips for Finding Your Lost Pet

Within the 1st Hour

  1. Alert your neighbors
    Immediately alert your neighbors about your lost pet by using the methods your community utilizes most to communicate. This could include Nextdoor, a Facebook group, or a neighborhood email list. Be sure to include a description of your pet (color, size, gender), last known location (or closest intersection), and a photo.
  2. Contact the microchip company
    If your pet has a microchip, contact the microchip company right away to report them as lost, and update your contact information as needed. If you don’t know what company your pet’s microchip is registered to, visit the AAHA website which will allow you to enter your pet’s microchip number and identify the microchip company. If you don’t know your pet’s microchip number, contact the facility that microchipped your pet and they can provide information.

Within the Next Few Hours

  1. Start searching Petco Love Lost
    Upload your lost pet’s photo to Petco Love Lost, a KC Pet Project partner that provides free facial recognition software to reunite lost pets with their owners. Your pet’s uploaded photo will be scanned against photos of found animals at shelters and those reported by the community.
  2. Set up a Pawboost Alert
  3. Make flyers and walk the neighborhood
    PetFBI has an easy online lost pet flyer template that you can print from home! If you need help creating and printing a flyer a member of our Return to Home Team can assist you at our shelter. Then, walk the neighborhood, speak with neighbors, postal carriers, UPS/Amazon drivers, landscapers, and tell them about your missing pet.
  4. Submit a Lost Pet Report on the KC Pet Project website.

Within the First 24 Hours

  1. Visit your county animal shelter to look for your pet
    You are the best person to identify your pet, and it’s imperative that you visit the shelter to walk through the kennels and see if your pet has been found. If your pet was lost in Kansas City, MO, you will visit our KC Campus for Animal Care location. We may not recognize your pet from the flyer if they come in at a later date, so be sure to visit the shelter as frequently as you can. We recommend every 2-3 days minimum.
  2. Hang lost pet posters
    Hang posters with duct tape at major intersections within a 3-mile radius of where your dog was lost or a 1-mile radius of where your cat was lost.
  3. Look for your pet frequently on our website
    If you see your pet’s photo, please call the shelter immediately. You can see our daily intakes on the Get ‘Em Home Trello Board, and review all animals who arrived as a stray on our Lost & Found website.
Reclaim Fee Forgiveness Program

Owners that reclaim their pet within the first two days of impoundment at KC Pet Project will not be charged intake fees.

Surrounding Shelters Map

Please keep in mind this list does not include every city in the metro area. If your city is not listed, you can use Google or another search engine to find your local animal control.
Map

Lost Pet Resources

Websites where you can post lost pets:

  • Petco Love Lost
  • Pawboost
  • Nextdoor: Free, private, social media network for your neighborhood community where you can post your missing pet to those who live in your area. This has proven to have a high success rate of reuniting missing pets!

Facebook Groups

Flyers and Poster Creation

When creating a flyer or poster, use a half-page, brightly colored poster board and include a clear photo of your pet. Use extremely large lettering with concise information, such as, “LOST SMALL WHITE MALE DOG, CALL xxx-xxx-xxxx”.  If you need help creating and printing a flyer, a member of our Return to Home Team can assist you at our shelter.

Trapping Your Lost Cat

If you decide to attempt to trap your cat, KC Pet Project offers trap rentals to Kansas City, MO residents. If available, you can rent a trap from KC Pet Project for a refundable $75 deposit. If no traps are available, consider purchasing a 30LTD-Light Duty Animal Trap at your local home improvement store and donating the trap to KC Pet Project afterwards. The donation is tax deductible.

If You Think Your Pet Was Stolen

If you think there is a chance your pet is stolen please contact the police to fill out a report. Reports are great to have on file in the chance that you find someone who has your pet and won’t give it back. Make sure that you have photos of as many angles as possible of your pet as they also help in proving ownership. If your pet is microchipped this is THE BEST proof of ownership you can have. If you see someone with your pet the best thing to do is call the police and provide them with any evidence you can (picture, license plate, address) so that they can handle the situation.

Don't Give Up!

Don’t give up hope! Pets have been found months after getting lost. Finding a lost pet can take time. Start searching immediately and often. Animals that are lost may still be close to home, or residing with a well-meaning finder.

Once You Find Your Pet

Update your reports

Wherever you posted your pet as missing (posters, websites, social media) be sure to update that your pet has been found. Many volunteers and shelter staff members review lost pet reports daily, and having updated information ensures time is dedicated to animals that are still missing.

Collar & ID Tag

Make sure your pet is always wearing a collar and ID tags. Only 5% of lost pets not wearing identification ever get reunited with their owners. Inexpensive tags can also be purchased from KC Pet Project. Include your phone number and address. Don’t forget to update the microchip and tag information as your information changes!

Microchip

Having your pet microchipped is a quick, painless and easy way to ensure that if your pet gets loose, you will be contacted if they come into a shelter. You can have your pet microchipped at KC Pet Project or at any veterinarian’s office.

Found pet

Your support to our Keep ‘Em Together Fund keeps families and their pets together

Donate
Petco Love Lost
EN ES