Thank you for helping lost pets. First and foremost, please report the found animal to the animal control agency nearest you. This helps many pets get reunited quickly. Many animal control agencies have online forms where you can upload a picture and details about the found pet without having to visit their facility.
You can take the lost/stray animal to your veterinarian’s office or to the nearest animal shelter to you and ask for the pet to be scanned for a microchip. If they do end up having a microchip, that clinic or shelter can help get in contact with the animal’s family and help him or her get back home.
If no microchip comes up, you can still post to your local Facebook group or on Nextdoor to attempt to find the pet’s owners. Also, please reach out to your local city shelter to ask if they’ll post about the pet you found on their website or social media. Petco Love Lost is another resource you can try. It uses facial recognition to help reunite owners with their lost pets.