Lost Pet Resources in Los Angeles, CA

Local Animal Shelters & Control Agencies in Los Angeles

• LA Animal Services (LAAS) — 6 city shelters: East Valley (14409 Vanowen St, Van Nuys), West Valley (20655 Plummer St, Chatsworth), South LA (1850 W 60th St), East LA (5210 N Valley Blvd), West LA (11361 W Pico Blvd), North Central (3201 Lacy St). laanimalservices.com
• LA County Animal Care & Control — covers unincorporated LA County. Multiple locations including Downey, Agoura, Lancaster. animalcare.lacounty.gov
• Best Friends Animal Society LA — 15321 Brand Blvd, Mission Hills. bestfriends.org/losangeles. Takes many transfers from city shelters.
• Pasadena Humane Society — 361 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena. pasadenahumane.org
• spcaLA — 5026 W Jefferson Blvd. spca.la

Critical tip: Call AND visit in person. Shelter databases are updated irregularly. Walk the kennels yourself. Know your local stray hold period (typically 3–5 business days) and visit before it expires.

Local Facebook Lost Pet Groups

• "LA Lost and Found Pets" — primary LA group
• "Lost Dogs of Los Angeles"
• "Lost Cats of Los Angeles"
• "Lost and Found Pets — San Fernando Valley"
• "Lost Pets — South Bay LA"
• "Westside LA Lost Pets"

Search these group names on Facebook and join before posting. Also post on your local Nextdoor and tag adjacent neighborhoods.

Los Angeles-Specific Tips

• LA's six LAAS shelters are geographically distributed — a dog found in one part of the city may end up at the shelter closest to the finder, not the shelter closest to your home. Check all six.
• LA Animal Services has a real-time online database (laanimalservices.com) that is updated frequently — check it multiple times daily AND visit in person.
• The LA River trail system is a common corridor for lost dogs in the San Fernando Valley and East LA — dogs follow the river path for long distances.
• Griffith Park is a major destination for lost dogs in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, and East Hollywood. Contact Griffith Park ranger station: (323) 913-4688.
• In hot weather (which is most of the year in LA), dogs seek shade and water. Check areas near any water source: park fountains, creek beds, swimming pools with visible water.
• LA has a large Spanish-speaking population — post bilingual flyers (Spanish and English) for maximum coverage in East LA, South LA, and the San Fernando Valley.

General Steps for Any Lost Pet in Los Angeles

1. Post a free alert at afinderly.com/find/lost-found
2. Call every shelter listed above and file a lost report in person
3. Post on every local Facebook lost pet group and Nextdoor
4. Post physical flyers at every gas station, grocery store, vet, and dog park within 2 miles
5. Set a humane trap if your pet has been missing more than 24 hours
6. Search at dawn and dusk when lost pets are most active

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