Thank you for helping this animal in need!

The Roanoke Valley SPCA does not directly admit stray pets into our center for the following reasons:

  1. Guardians who have lost their pets need a central location to find them, and that is the local municipal agency (pound). If your beloved pet were ever lost you would want to be able to look in one central location for him/her instead of checking every shelter within your community.
  2. Under state law, stray animals must be held for a mandatory stray period in order to provide guardians adequate time to locate their lost pets. As a safe shelter, the Roanoke Valley SPCA must fully utilize all available shelter space to save as many lives as possible. This is best achieved by allowing animal control agencies to perform the function of impounding stray pets as is required of them by law.

If you find a stray animal, you have the following options:

  • Take the pet to the local municipal animal shelter/animal control agency in the county or city where you found them. The majority of pet guardians will first contact the municipal animal shelter/animal control when looking for a lost pet.
  • Care for the pet at your home while you look for the owner yourself. If you take this route, be sure to:
    • Call the local municipal animal shelter/animal control in the area where you found the pet and any neighboring localities if you are near another county/city line. Let the municipal animal shelter/animal control know the description of the animal, the date, and location where he was found and if he is wearing a collar or has any unusual markings that might make it easier to reunite him with the owner.
    • Have the animal scanned for a registered microchip by the municipal animal shelter/animal control agency or a veterinarian. If the pet is chipped, contact the microchip company and provide the chip number so that the company can trace the chip back to the pet’s guardian.
    • List the pet on as many social media lost and found pet pages as are in your area.  Post flyers in the neighborhood and in very public locations. 

 

If you find a stray animal and the animal is in danger, is putting others in danger, or is injured contact contact animal control for your locality.

Local Animal Control Contact Numbers

Roanoke City Animal Control: (540) 853-2211
Roanoke County Animal Control: (540) 777-8606     
Botetourt County Animal Control: (540) 473-8230
Town of Vinton Animal Control: (540) 562-3265
City of Salem Animal Control: (540) 375-3078