1
Report to IACS and Indy Lost Pet Alert
Use the municipal IACS channel and submit a local Indy Lost Pet Alert report. Include the same clear photo, exact intersection, date, and contact method in both places.
Verified local resource guide
Lost dog or cat in Indianapolis, IN?
Find the public agency that serves the exact location, review current found-pet listings, and use this verified local plan for a missing dog or cat.
3Regional contacts
3Online resources
✓Checked August 14, 2026
Search with your pet’s photoUse Petgraphy alongside official reports and local checks.
Start in the correct Indianapolis service area
Indianapolis Animal Care Services is the municipal shelter for Indianapolis and Marion County, while Indy Lost Pet Alert maintains a widely used local reporting network. File with both systems and keep the animal's exact last-seen location consistent across every report.
Indianapolis-Marion County rules distinguish ordinary found animals from community cats and require a finder to notify the appropriate authority within 48 hours. The general four-day hold also has exceptions, so owners should act immediately and verify the current rule for the animal's circumstances.
Routing note: IACS covers Indianapolis and Marion County. Incorporated communities and locations beyond Marion County may use another provider, and community-cat rules differ from the general found-animal process.
What to do for a lost dog or cat in Indianapolis
Work through these location-specific steps alongside an on-the-ground search and the species guide that matches your pet.
2
Follow the finder-notification rule
If someone is holding a found pet, Indianapolis-Marion County code generally requires notice to the authority within 48 hours. Use current IACS instructions to document the find properly.
3
Do not rely on one hold-period number
The general city code and community-cat exception do not work the same way. Search immediately, verify the animal's status with IACS, and bring proof of ownership for a possible reclaim.
4
Use private shelters as supplemental resources
IndyHumane and Southside Animal Shelter can provide local support, but each has separate intake policies. Confirm current services before visiting and keep IACS as the municipal report.
Animal shelters and lost-pet resources near Indianapolis
These organizations do not all offer the same services. Use the note on each record, confirm its current service area, and follow its official contact or visit instructions.
Indianapolis Animal Care Services
5001 E Raymond St, Indianapolis, IN 46203
317-327-1397Municipal shelter and animal-services agency for Indianapolis and Marion County.
IndyHumane
7929 N Michigan Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46268
317-872-5650Independent nonprofit with separate programs and intake policies.
Southside Animal Shelter
1614 W Edgewood Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46217
317-781-0755Independent nonprofit; confirm current lost-and-found support before visiting.
Official and regional resources to check
Review the relevant pages repeatedly. A community link should supplement—not replace—an official lost-pet report and agency listing check.
Indianapolis Animal Care ServicesOfficial municipal shelter contacts and current service information.Open resource ↗Indy Lost Pet AlertLocal lost-and-found network for Indianapolis-area reports.Open resource ↗Make an Indy Lost Pet Alert reportSubmit the local report after completing the municipal steps.Open resource ↗
Facebook lost-pet groups and pages near Indianapolis
Local Facebook communities can spread a clear photo quickly and surface neighborhood sightings that never reach a shelter database. Post only after confirming that the community covers the last-seen location and allows lost-pet reports.
Independent community links—reviewed August 14, 2026. Facebook names, rules, activity, privacy, and coverage can change without notice. Confirm the current scope, never send payment or verification codes, and withhold identifying details that a legitimate owner should use to prove ownership.
Indy Lost Pet AlertFacebook page · Indianapolis and Marion CountyCommunity resource with a corresponding public website; confirm current posting options.Indianapolis Lost and Found PetsFacebook group · Indianapolis areaExternally corroborated; Facebook details require sign-in.Indianapolis Animal Care ServicesFacebook page · Indianapolis and Marion CountyOfficial agency page; confirm current posting options.
Other lost-pet websites
These services can extend your reach, but none replaces an official report, local searching, or checking the agencies that serve the last-seen location.
Show 3 additional websitesPetco Love Lost, PawBoost, and 24Petconnect
Petco Love LostFreeFree national lost-and-found database with photo matching and participating shelter listings. File directly with local agencies too because coverage is not universal.Open ↗PawBoostFree + paid optionsA basic lost-or-found alert and local Facebook-page post are free; optional premium promotion is offered.Open ↗24PetconnectSearch is freeSearch participating shelter and public lost/found records by location. Lost-pet notices can receive possible-match emails; postcards are optional and paid.Open ↗
Use the right field-search plan
Dogs and cats can respond differently when displaced. Use our sourced species guide for the field-search steps while this page handles local reporting and agency routing.
Lost-pet questions for Indianapolis
Where should I report a lost dog or cat in Indianapolis?
IACS covers Indianapolis and Marion County. Incorporated communities and locations beyond Marion County may use another provider, and community-cat rules differ from the general found-animal process.
How long will a shelter hold a stray animal?
Holding periods and intake rules vary by agency, jurisdiction, species, identification status, and circumstance. Check the current policy for the agency serving the place where your pet was found, and act immediately—do not wait for a hold period to expire.
Should I visit every organization on this page?
No. First identify the agency serving the exact last-seen or found location. Review its current listings and follow its contact or visit instructions. Add adjacent agencies when a boundary or likely travel path makes them relevant.
Are these contacts guaranteed to stay current?
No directory stays current forever. Petgraphy verified the listed sources on August 14, 2026. Always confirm hours, service areas, intake rules, and contact details on the linked official page before traveling.
Sources and verification
Contact details, direct links, and jurisdiction guidance were checked against these primary sources on .