I found a lost pet. How do I find the owner?

I found a lost pet. How do I find the owner?

The quickest way to get a found pet home is to have its microchip scanned. Take the pet to your nearest vet clinic or local council. They can scan the chip, look up the owner on the national databases and contact them directly.

If you're in Victoria

Victorian law requires anyone who finds a stray pet to take it directly to a vet clinic or council for scanning. Once it's scanned, they will get the owner's details and contact them to arrange pickup.

If you're outside Victoria

First, check the pet's collar for a tag.

  • C.A.R. collar tag (green or blue, with a 7-digit number): call us on 03 9706 3187 and quote the number. We'll take your contact details and pass them on to the owner.
  • SMART collar tag (blue, pink or black, with a QR code on the back): scan the QR code to send your contact details straight to the owner.
  • No tag, or a tag from someone else: take the pet to your nearest vet clinic or council so the microchip can be scanned.

Good to know

  • For privacy, we can't give owner details to members of the public. Vets and councils contact the owner for you.
  • Vets and councils have 24/7 access to a Central Animal Records operator for lost pets, so a found pet can be traced at any time of day.
  • You can also check our Lost Pet HUB to see if the owner has reported the pet missing.
  • Questions? Call us on 03 9706 3187 (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm) or email info@car.com.au.