Practical guides for lost-pet situations
Straightforward, Canada-specific guides we wish every owner and finder had on the day they needed them.
How to find a lost cat
Where lost cats actually hide, when to search, when to set a humane trap, and why the first two days matter most. Cats are seven in ten of the pets reported missing on Lost.ca.
Found a pet: can you keep it? The law, province by province
Pets are property, so it is never finders keepers. What a finder must do, how long each province and major city holds strays, and when a found animal can legally become yours.
The first 24 hours if your pet goes missing
A timed checklist for the window when action matters most: search patterns, shelter calls, microchip registries, and the posts and flyers that actually work.
Found a stray? Here’s what to do
How to tell if a pet is lost vs. loose, how to approach a scared animal safely, and the three things to do in the first hour.
Canadian pet microchip registries, explained
Which registries are in use in Canada, how to check which one your pet is on, and what to do if the number isn’t registered.
How to design a lost-pet poster that actually gets calls
What drivers glance at, what dog walkers remember, and the three details that make a flyer work. Plus free print layouts.
Curious what the posts add up to? See the Canada Lost Pet Report 2026.