FOUND PETS

All found pets should be reported to the correct local agencies so that the animal and its owner have the best chance of being reunited.

If you have found a pet that is wearing identification, please reach out to the owners using the contact information on the tag or collar. If the pet is only wearing a Borough issued license tag, please call the Police Department to find out the procedure to return a lost pet. They can be contacted at 856-429-4700, ext. 250, Monday thru Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If the pet is found after hours, please contact Police Non-Emergency Dispatch at 429-3000 to report the found pet.

If you have found a pet without identification, there are two options available:

- Keep the animal while looking for its owner, or
- Bring the animal to a shelter.

KEEPING THE ANIMAL WHILE LOOKING FOR ITS OWNER: Many people want to spare a lost pet from having to spend time in an animal shelter – and that’s a good thing! You don’t have to bring a found animal to the Voorhees Animal Orphanage (VAO), or any shelter, and can keep it in your home while you look for its owner. While doing so, make sure to:

Call Independent Animal Control and the Police Department to report the found animal.
Call local shelters to report a found animal. Click here for a list of other shelters in this area, which does not include rescue groups. Please check online for how to contact any local rescue groups.
Post a “found” message on one or more of the many lost & found pages on social media.
You can also send an email to found@vaonj.org (they’ll keep an eye out there for comparisons to lost pets reported). Don’t forget to update everyone if your pet is found!
Post flyers around town or take out an ad in a local newspaper.
Take the animal to a vet or shelter to be scanned for a microchip. If found, it may contain contact information for the owners.
If none of these steps help you locate a pet’s owners, consider adopting it yourself! A found animal is eligible for adoption after being reported to animal control and held for the requisite stray period (7 days).

BRING THE ANIMAL TO THE SHELTER You can also bring a found animal to Voorhees Animal Orphanage (VAO), with whom the Borough contracts for animal shelter services. It’s best to call ahead to make an appointment (856-627-9111). You will be asked some basic questions concerning where the animal was found and if it was wearing any identification. When the animal arrives at the shelter, staff will use all available resources to reunite the animal with its owner. Stray animals are held for the state-mandated 7 day period before being placed up for adoption.

Pet Photo 2