Throughout the year, people often drop by the Animal Hospital with stray animals. However, while we are empathetic about the plight of strays, the Animal Hospital is just not set up to be a shelter.

Because the Ann Arbor Animal Hospital is a 24-hour facility, many well-meaning Good Samaritans bring stray animals to the clinic with the hope of handing them off to a safe place until they can be reunited with their families. However, because we are an animal hospital, we have to follow a strict protocol when it comes to unknown animals. We can’t run the risk of exposing animals who are being boarded or are patients in for medical treatment to potential contagions. We are also unable to ascertain whether a stray animal has been vaccinated or presents a behavioral risk to our staff, so as a rule, we cannot accept healthy strays.

Something you may want to keep in mind if you own a pet is that getting a microchip will cost only a fraction of the boarding costs and fees that are associated with a lost pet, so it’s definitely something to consider.

Here is what YOU should do:

• Check the animal’s tags and attempt to get in touch with the owner.
• Contact the State Police Post, County Sheriff, City Police, Animal Control and Humane Society closest to where the animal was found and see if there is a missing pet report.
• We will have you complete our Lost Pet / Stray form that is posted in the hospital in case we get calls. Also, this form will help you to be prepared with pertinent information when you contact the local Police Department, i.e., where the stray was found, etc.

This is what a veterinarian CAN do:

• Check the animal for a microchip.
• If the animal is injured, the animal hospital will stabilize the stray and call the Humane Society.

Resources for stray animals in Ann Arbor:

• Humane Society of Huron Valley Hotline: (734) 662-5585, ext. 112.
• Ann Arbor Police: (734) 994-2911
• Ypsilanti Police: (734) 482-1025
• Washtenaw County Sheriff: (734) 973-4911
• Check the internet at “Petfinder.com” or “Pet Amber Alert”

Other recommendations:

• Consider microchipping your pet. Only 5% of stray cats are ever reunited with their families in Washtenaw County!
• Keep tags up-to-date.
• Make sure your yard is secure and that your pet can’t get out.
• Bookmark this “Pet Lost & Found” page from the Humane Society. It also lists the boarding fees and fines if your pet is lost.
• For other types of animals, the Humane Society also provides this Cruelty and Rescue page.