Lost or found a pet? Start here.

What to do first

1. Report it on PawBoost right away, whether your pet is lost or you found one: lost dog, lost cat, lost, other, found dog, found cat, or found, other. The feed above only shows what people have already reported, so this step comes first.
2. If you've found an animal, get it scanned for a microchip. Most vets and shelters keep a universal scanner and will check a walk-in for free, no appointment needed, per the American Veterinary Medical Association.
3. Contact your own township, not the county. Somerset doesn't run one central shelter; New Jersey law puts stray pickup on each municipality, which must use a licensed pound and hold an animal at least seven days before it can be adopted out or euthanized, per the state Department of Health. If you don't have your town's animal control number handy, its police non-emergency line will.
4. Post to your town's Facebook group or Nextdoor. In a county this spread out, a neighbor who saw the animal that morning is often faster than any database.
5. Dogs that get home usually turn up in the first two weeks or not at all; cats tend to hide close by and can resurface much later. Don't stop checking the feed above after the first few days, especially for a cat.