LOST & FOUND
Lost dog? Don't panic. Start here.
First things first - try not to worry! This community is wonderful at helping each other find lost pets. Take a breath, read through this information, and know that your dog is loved and well-cared for if they are in our custody.
Check social media.
This is the fastest way to see if a dog is in our care! We highly suggest going to the Facebook Group Lost & Found Pets Clay Center. This is where citizens can post about pets they found, and if a dog is at CCARE, we try to post it there too.
Check our website.
Once your dog is processed in our database, it will show up below. This means your pet has been brought to CCARE and is waiting to be claimed. If your pet goes unclaimed for 3 CCARE business days without any communication from you, it becomes property of CCARE and will be evaluated and prepared for adoption if eligible.
Understand our reclaim process.
You will pay a fee to reclaim your pet, we will not process a release without it. This is to cover our cost of boarding fees, which are included but not limited to evaluations, veterinarian care, food, vaccinations and a microchip, depending on what identification your animal has. Charges vary by offense, which reset after 90 days without incident.
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First offense: $30 + $5 per day unclaimed
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Second offense: $50 (reduced to $30 if your pet is microchipped)
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Third offense: $50 + $5 per day unclaimed
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If your animal is already eligible for adoption, adoption fees will instead apply.
You will need bring your ID, and something that can prove you are the animal's owner: vet records, adoption papers, or any photos of the animal are all acceptable forms of identification for your animal. We will collect a copy of your ID should a reclamation or ownership dispute arise (it will not be used for anything else).
Current Animals in Custody
If this page is blank, there are currently no animals waiting to be claimed. Click on a pet and scroll right to read all the pet's information.
Saw a dog running loose, or have a stray in your possession? We can help.
We appreciate your help in controlling the loose dog population across Clay County. Because we are a very small, privately run shelter, we ask that you help us in working together to create the best possible outcomes for dogs in Clay County. Read this information in its entirety to determine your next steps.
Step 1: Try to locate the pet's owner yourself.
Social media is a wonderful thing! Take a picture of the animal - this is vital to connecting it with its owner! We highly suggest posting it to the Facebook Group Lost & Found Pets Clay Center. You can also call our local veterinarians, which are Salava Veterinary and Court Street Veterinary.
Step 2: Contact Your Police Department or City Office.
We are contracted with the city of Clay Center and most of the smaller communities in Clay County. If you find a stray running loose in the community, contact your city office to see if there is an agreement in place between your community and CCARE. If so, the designated representative can bring the dog to CCARE. This will prevent you from paying the surrender fee.
City | Contact |
|---|---|
Miltonvale City Office | (785) 427-3380 |
Wakefield Police Department | (785) 461-5444 |
Moganville City Office | (785) 926-3070 |
Longford City Office | (785) 388-2124 |
Green City Office | (785) 944-3486 |
Clifton City Office | (785) 455-3711 |
Clay Center Police Department | (785) 632-2121 |
Strays found outside city limits (Clay County)
Most often, we recommend leaving a healthy looking dog who is discovered in the county. Likely this is a "roamer" who will make their way back home! However, follow your instincts. If the dog is emciated, hurt, or you just think the dog needs brought in, you can do so.
Because there is not a support mechanism in place, dogs found in the county are subject to the $40 surrender fee. We certainly don't mean to discourage good citizens from helping us with the stray dog population, but CCARE may spend up to $400 preparing this pet for adoption. We do everything we can to keep the fee low.
Step 3: If you can, keep the animal until CCARE is open.
Due to our shelter's small size, we can only handle emergency stray on-call situations. If you plan to bring in the animal yourself, please keep the animal in your possession until our next business day. Make sure you've called the police or city department first (see above). You can find our hours and other information on the contact us page.
Remember: Honesty is the best policy.
Claiming your pet is "a stray that you found" rather than admitting you can no longer keep it is never the answer. Keeping our doors open depends on our community being truthful. If we receive your pet as a stray, it will be kept for 3 business days waiting for someone to claim it, before being prepared for adoption. Not only will your pet experience stress during this time, it will be occupying valuable space for animals that are available for adoption.
If you disclose that you are the owner of the pet, you can provide us with important details about your pet that will help it find the right home! Example: if your pet is a spayed female, you prevent her from undergoing unnecessary surgery.
Wild Animals - Please Leave Them Be!
Most wild babies are NOT helpless or abandoned. Most "rescuers" who move them unwittingly stole the young animal from its parents. We aren't a good substitute for them, so leaving a young animal alone affords it the best chance for survival.
Wild animals are excellent parents by instinct, their babies will stay "home" when the parents leave for hours a time to forage, and trust that their babies will stay in the same place until they return. Many are noctural, meaning mom returns at dark.
CCARE can’t take any animals other than dogs. We are neither equipped nor insured for other species, and cannot risk the health of our facility, licensure or animals. If you find a wild animal with obvious signs of distress (vomiting, injury/bleeding, weakness, distress, parasites) you can call the Nature Center at Milford Lake, (785) 238-5323 to get additional guidance.