Lost and Found
Help us, help them!
If you have a lost or found a pet, please fill out the corresponding form below. This helps us reunite pets with their families by automatically matching reports of lost and found animals, which can speed up the reunification process.
Tips for Finding a Lost Pet 🐾
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Start searching immediately.
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Search close to where they were last seen. Many pets, especially cats, stay much closer to home than people realize.
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Ask your neighbors to check. Request that they look under decks, in garages, sheds, window wells, barns, and other hiding places.
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Walk or drive the area at different times of day. Early morning and late evening are often the quietest times, making it easier to spot or hear your pet.
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Bring a flashlight at night. A flashlight can help you spot the reflection of your pet's eyes under bushes or in hiding places.
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Use a calm, familiar voice. Call your pet's name and bring favorite treats, toys, or food to encourage them to come out.
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Leave familiar scents at home. Placing your pet's bedding, an unwashed shirt, or other familiar items outside may help them recognize home.
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Post on social media. Share clear, recent photos along with where and when your pet was last seen. Ask friends and family to share your post.
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Create and post flyers. Include a large color photo, your pet's name, the location last seen, and your contact information. Keep the design simple and easy to read.
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Don't give up too soon. Many pets have been reunited with their families days, weeks, or even months after going missing.
Dog-Specific Tips 🐶
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Stay in the area where your dog was last seen whenever possible.
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If your dog is fearful, avoid chasing them. Instead, sit down, speak softly, and encourage them to approach you.
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Ask people not to pursue or corner a frightened dog, as this can cause them to run farther away.
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Keep a leash and high-value treats with you during your search.
Cat-Specific Tips 🐱
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Most indoor cats hide within a few houses of where they escaped, especially during the first few days.
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Search thoroughly under porches, decks, bushes, vehicles, and in garages or sheds.
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Search quietly—frightened cats often won't respond to their names, even if they hear you.
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Continue checking hiding places multiple times, as cats may not emerge until they feel safe.
If Your Pet Has a Microchip
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Contact the microchip company immediately to report your pet missing and verify that your contact information is current.
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If your pet is found and scanned, having up-to-date registration information is one of the fastest ways to be reunited.
Remember: Stay hopeful and keep searching. Every year, countless lost pets find their way back home thanks to persistent owners and a community working together. ❤️🐾
Stray Cats
Stray Cats: Sometimes, the Best Way Home Is to Leave Them Be
Current research shows that often the best way to help a stray cat get home is to allow them to stay close to where they were found. Research shows that cats are 50 times more likely to be reunited with their owners when they are left in the area where they were found. In many cases, the safest thing you can do is leave the cat where they are and give their family the opportunity to find them.
When Should You Move a Stray Cat?
Moving a stray cat is generally recommend only when:
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📆 They have been in the area for more than 3 days.
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🍼 They are an orphaned kitten without their mother. If you find a litter of kittens, watch from a distance and monitor them closely—mom may simply be away hunting or getting food. See our Free-Roaming Cats page for more information and resources.
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🐾 They are clearly sick or injured. Seek appropriate veterinary care immediately. HSBC is not a veterinary clinic, does not have trained medical staff, and is not an alternative to necessary medical care.
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⚠️ They are in an unsafe or dangerous location.
Bringing a Stray Cat to HSBC
If you believe a stray cat needs to come to the shelter, please complete the Stray Cat Admission Appointment Request Form below. This is the quickest and most effective way for our team to review the situation and determine when we can schedule an admission.
We accept stray cats as capacity allows. To ensure every animal receives the highest quality of care, we can only responsibly admit as many cats as we are able to appropriately house, care for, and ultimately place into loving homes. Carefully managing our population allows us to provide appropriate housing, medical care, enrichment, and individualized attention while maintaining a healthy, low-stress environment for every cat in our care.
Because we are a small shelter with limited staff, all intakes—including stray cats—are scheduled by appointment. This ensures a trained team member is available to properly process the admission, evaluate the cat's medical and behavioral needs, monitor for signs of illness or stress, and begin appropriate care immediately. During the admission appointment, we complete an initial health and behavior assessment and administer core vaccinations, as appropriate, to help protect both the incoming cat and the animals already in our care.
By carefully managing stray cat admissions and operating within our Capacity for Care, we can maintain safe, humane standards of sheltering and give every animal the best possible opportunity to stay healthy, reduce stress, and find their way to a loving home.
Barron County Stray Dogs
If you’ve found a stray dog in Barron County, report the dog to your local municipality to arrange transfer to the county stray hold facility. Or contact the stray hold facility directly. This ensures that the dog’s best chance at being reunited with its owner. After the stray hold, when the dog is legally available for adoption, the stray hold facility will transfer the dog to a shelter or rescue organization.