My pet is missing — where do I report it?

Direct answer

A microchipped pet is found through the chip database: report it missing at Petlog / Identibase (microchip databases) (01296 336 579) so any vet or shelter scanning the chip sees it — and check your contact details there are current. Then RSPCA (England & Wales) / SSPCA (Scotland) / USPCA (NI) (0300 1234 999) — the animal shelter and the animal-welfare organisation for the UK, which take in strays — and Your local council (gov.uk), the municipality, which collects animals from the street. Search at dawn and dusk with something that smells of home; most cats are within a few hundred metres, hiding.

Call firstPetlog / Identibase (microchip databases)

Report toRSPCA (England & Wales) / SSPCA (Scotland) / USPCA (NI)

If that failsYour local council

🗣️ What to say

"My [dog/cat], [name, breed, colour, age, chip number], went missing on [date] from [address/area]. [Wearing collar / not.] Please register it as missing and tell me which shelters to contact. Photo attached."

🪜 Step by step

Chip database: Petlog / Identibase (microchip databases)Mark missing, update your phone number.
Shelters and vets: RSPCA (England & Wales) / SSPCA (Scotland) / USPCA (NI)Call and email the local shelters and vets with a photo; visit shelters in person — descriptions get lost.
Municipality: Your local councilFound animals are taken in by the municipal service; report yours so they match.
NeighbourhoodPosters with a photo, local social-media groups, neighbours' sheds and garages. Cats: put the litter tray outside.
Keep lookingCats turn up weeks later; dogs are usually found within days. Report a found pet the same way if you find one.

📇 All contacts

Petlog / Identibase (microchip databases)Report missing, chip searchImmediately after the pet goes missing📞 01296 336 579 🔗 www.petlog.org.uk

RSPCA (England & Wales) / SSPCA (Scotland) / USPCA (NI)Animal cruelty line, inspections, prosecutionsNeglect or abuse📞 0300 1234 999 🔗 www.rspca.org.uk

Your local councilNoise, waste, roads, housing standards, licensing, lost propertyFor anything the council handles🔗 www.gov.uk/find-local-council

Police — 101 / report online (999 in an emergency)Local police for any crime that is not fraudBurglary, theft, threats, stalking📞 101 🔗 www.police.uk

❓ Frequently asked

Not chipped

Report anyway with photos; a found animal is matched by description. Microchipping is compulsory for dogs in most EU countries — get it done when the pet is back.

Someone found it and wants money

A finder can claim reasonable expenses, not a ransom. If it feels like a scam, involve the police.

Lost abroad on holiday

Chip databases are linked through the European pet-network; report at home and in the country you are in.

📎 Sources

Last checked: 2026-09-26

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🧭 Is this still correct?

We check this information carefully, but phone numbers, websites and rules change — and sometimes we get something wrong. Spotted a mistake or a change? Let us know below.

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🐕 My pet is missing — where do I report it?