Found a Pet?

If you’re unable to hold the pet:

  • Call the local animal control agency. Protocols differ by agency, so a call to the animal control agency that services the area where the pet was found will help you determine the next steps.
  • If the pet was found in the Humane Society of Jefferson County’s service area, please call 920-674-2048. If you have found the pet after hours please call your local law enforcement agency’s non-emergency number.

If you’re able to hold onto the pet while searching for the owner:

  • Contact local animal shelters, animal control agencies, and police departments. File a found pet report with every shelter within a 60-mile radius of where the pet was found. If there is no shelter in the community, contact the local police department. Provide these agencies with an accurate description and a photograph of the pet.
  • Fill out a found pet report on Petco Love Lost.
  • Scan for a microchip. Any shelter or veterinary clinic will be able to scan pets for free, but it is recommended to call the clinic or organization before taking the pet in.
  • Ask neighbors. Most pets don’t wander far from home. Ask neighbors, mail carriers, and neighborhood children if they recognize the pet.
  • Advertise. Post notices at grocery stores, community centers, veterinary offices, groomers, dog parks, and other locations.
  • Post on social media. Make posts on local community groups and local lost & found pet groups in addition to posting on your own profile. Post often (if the rules of the group allow), but be careful not to post too frequently or you could risk being removed from the group.

Can you Bring the Pet to HSJC?

The Humane Society of Jefferson County accepts stray animals found within our contracted municipalities. If you have found a stray animal, please confirm that the animal was found within one of the municipalities we serve before bringing it to the shelter.

Contracted Municipalities

  • Town of Aztalan
  • Town of Cold Spring
  • Town of Koshkonong
  • Town of Jefferson
  • Village of Johnson Creek
  • City of Lake Mills
  • Town of Lake Mills
  • Town of Oakland
  • Town of Sullivan
  • Town of Sumner
  • City of Fort Atkinson
  • City of Jefferson
  • Town of Palmyra

Other Shelters and Animal Control Agencies

Some municipalities within Jefferson County choose to contract with the agencies listed below to provide their stray animal services.

  • Watertown Humane Society
    Main number: (920) 261-1270
    After-hours number: (920) 258-0062
    Services the cities of Waterloo and Watertown and the townships of Concord, Ixonia, Milford, Waterloo, and Watertown
  • Township of Farmington Animal Control
    (920) 699-2143
  • Village of Palmyra Animal Control (Police Dept.)
    (262) 495-2114
  • Village of Cambridge Animal Control (Police Dept.)
    (608) 423-4328
  • Lakeland Animal Shelter
    (262) 723-3899
    Services the city of Whitewater.