Report a lost or found pet in South Bend
Acting fast is what reunites pets with their families. Report it to the South Bend Animal Resource Center right away — by phone, email, or online — then check the shelter in person. Strays without a microchip are held for three days; microchipped animals are held for seven. The last day to reclaim is always a business day.
If your pet is missing
Search close to home first.
Most pets are found near where they went missing. Check your property and ask neighbors to look on theirs.
File a lost report.
This is the step that reunites pets — do it as soon as you can. Call 311, email sbarc@southbendin.gov, or file online.
Report a lost pet(opens in a new tab)Post on South Bend Lost and Found Pets on Facebook.
Many owners are reunited with their pets through this platform.
Post to Facebook group(opens in a new tab)Come look in person, and bring an updated photo.
Staff can't match every pet from a description. Walk through the stray dogs and cats at SBARC and at the St. Joseph County Humane Society until your pet is home.
If you found an animal
File a found report.
This is how SBARC matches the animal to a lost report. Submit photos and details — what the animal looks like, where and when you found it, and how to reach you. Photos matter most: they're what an owner searching for their pet will recognize.
File a found report(opens in a new tab)Ask around the block.
Most pets are found close to home. Neighbors, nearby porches, and local lost-pet groups turn up an owner faster than anything else.
Post on South Bend Lost and Found Pets on Facebook.
Owners check here to see if someone has found their pet — a quick post often leads to a quick return.
Post to Facebook group(opens in a new tab)Contact us before bringing the animal in.
We can often help reunite the animal with its owner without it coming in to SBARC. If it does need to come in, contained animals can come to SBARC during business hours. If you can't catch it, or it seems sick or aggressive, don't approach — call 311 and an officer will respond.
A couple of things people ask
Reclaim fees apply, plus a $20 microchip fee if your pet isn't already chipped, and any vaccination or boarding charges. South Bend residents also need a current city pet license. Most reclaims come to around $100 — call ahead and an SBARC team member can give you a more detailed quote.
Yes. You can still file a lost report with SBARC, and we recommend filing one with both SBARC and the St. Joseph County Humane Society.