If you have found a pet, Almost Home strongly recommends sending a photo of the pet to Lost and Found Pets of Greater Lafayette on Facebook. It is a City of Lafayette ordinance that all found pets be reported within 48 hours. A found pet does not legally belong to the finder until after it has been in the finder's possession for more than 30 days per the City of Lafayette ordinance. The finder takes ownership of the animal if in their possession for more than 3 days outside of city boundaries, but within Tippecanoe County.
If you have found a stray pet in the city limits of Lafayette or West Lafayette, you may bring it to the Humane Society for Greater Lafayette, or call Animal Control to pick up the pet (Lafayette: 765-807-1200, West Lafayette: 765-775-5200, Tippecanoe County: 765-423-9321).
If you have lost or found a pet outside of Tippecanoe County please contact your local sheriff's department.
Report a Lost Pet or Found Pet
I have lost a pet
I have found a pet
What should I do if I find a cat and/or kittens outside?
Almost Home Humane Society is proud of the fact that our citizens care so deeply about the welfare of pets in our community and we are happy that many people’s first instinct is to always bring a pet they have found to AHHS for shelter. However, there are a few instances where we recommend leaving the pets right where you’ve found them.
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Have you found a cat outdoors that has a “tipped” left ear? If you find a cat that has had the top portion of its left ear removed (tipped) that is a sign that the cat is part of a Community Cat Caregiver’s Colony. The ear tip signifies that the cat is already spayed or neutered and is part of a colony. It is best to leave these cats where they are found because they are being cared for with other cats in the area. Feral/community cats are not considered “pet” cats by the city ordinances and it is recognized that they are best suited for an outdoor lifestyle.
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I’ve found a litter of kittens, should I bring them to you? When we find a litter of kittens, our good-hearted instincts tell us to rush to the aid of these fragile felines. Thankfully, human intervention is typically not required, so please do not “kit-nap” the kittens. In fact, the best thing you can do is leave the kittens alone. Mom will likely return shortly, and it’s critical that the kittens remain in her care as she offers the best chance for survival. If you are extremely certain that the kittens are orphaned, you can then step in and help. Even though AHHS is always willing to help kittens in need, kittens with mom have a much better rate of survival whether in the wild or in a foster home so please try to capture both mom and kittens if they are in danger. Want to help these tiny felines that you’ve found? Help Almost Home by becoming a foster parent for the litter. You will get all of the supplies from AHHS to care for the kittens in your home until it is 8 weeks of age.
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My neighborhood is overrun with cats, what can I do? Community cats are present in most neighborhoods in our area and the best plan of action for these cats is to spay or neuter them and let them remain in the areas where they are comfortable and at home. You can learn about becoming a TNR Community Cat Caregiver by calling 765-474-5222. Help us fight pet overpopulation in our community by assisting AHHS with trapping these cats and getting them fixed.