Losing a pet is stressful, but you don’t have to go through it alone. We’ve gathered the most important steps and resources to help you search, spread the word, and increase your chances of being reunited with your companion. Use the buttons below to get started right away.
What You Need to Know About the 72-Hour Legal Hold
Lost pets brought to The Animal Foundation are under the jurisdiction of City of Las Vegas, City of North Las Vegas, or Clark County Animal Protection Services for 72 hours, then the animals are released to The Animal Foundation for adoption.
This means lost pets are held for 72 hours, unless claimed sooner by their owners.
Owners of pets with identification will be contacted via phone and/or email. After the 72-hour hold, animals will be evaluated and may no longer be available to reclaim.
Stray cats with no identification brought to The Animal Foundation from the jurisdictions of the City of Las Vegas and Clark County are exempt from the 72-hour legal hold and may be evaluated for adoption upon intake. In most cases, community cats are also excluded from the legal hold requirement and may be evaluated immediately.
Claiming Your Lost Pet
Our Lost and Found department is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am – 7 pm. To claim your lost pet at The Animal Foundation, come to the shelter immediately. You must bring:
- A photo of your pet
- Veterinary records
- Proof of rabies vaccine*
- Current and valid breeders or fanciers license, if applicable**
*If your pet’s rabies vaccination is not current, we will administer the vaccination and you will be charged upon departure.
**All jurisdictions (City of Las Vegas, City of North Las Vegas and Clark County) enforce a mandatory spay/neuter ordinance. All animals at the shelter will be spayed/neutered before departure unless you provide a current and valid breeders and fanciers license upon reclamation.
Reclamation Fees & Financial Assistance
We are committed to reuniting pets with their families. If reclaiming your pet creates a financial hardship, please talk with our team—we may be able to reduce or waive fees.
Transportation an issue? We are currently piloting an RTO (Return-to-Owner) shuttle program to help bring pets home. If you need assistance, let our staff know. (Availability may be limited.)
Reclamation Fees
Each jurisdiction requires residents to pay impound fees for lost animals housed at our Las Vegas animal shelter during their stay. Fees are set and charged by each jurisdiction, not The Animal Foundation (Determine your jurisdiction).
| Clark County |
| Unsterilized Impound – $100 |
| 2nd Unsterilized Impound – $200 |
| Sterilized Impound – $25 |
| 2nd Sterilized Impound – $50 |
| 3rd Sterilized Impound – $100 |
| Microchip – $25 |
| Spay – $85** |
| Neuter – $65** |
| Rabies Vaccination – $12* |
| Boarding – $10/day |
| City of Las Vegas |
| Impound – $25 |
| Unsterilized License – $25 |
| Unsterilized Senior License – $15 |
| Sterilized License – $10 |
| Sterilized Senior License – $5 |
| Microchip – $25 |
| Spay – $85** |
| Neuter – $65** |
| Rabies Vaccination – $12* |
| Boarding – $10/day |
| City of North Las Vegas |
| Impound – $25 |
| Unsterilized License – $25 |
| Unsterilized Senior License – $15 |
| Sterilized License – $10 |
| Sterilized Senior License – $5 |
| Spay – $85** |
| Neuter – $65** |
| Rabies Vaccination – $12* |
| Boarding – $10/day |
Fees listed above apply to canine and feline reclamation only. For information on claiming other animals, please email our Lost & Found department at lostandfound@animalfoundation.com.
You can contact your jurisdiction’s Animal Protection Services office at the numbers below:
City of North Las Vegas Animal Protection Services — 702-633-1750; 702-633-1390 for animal complaints or officer requests.
Clark County Animal Protection Services — 702-455-7710
City of Las Vegas Animal Protection Services — 702-229-6444 (option 2)