Lost & Found Pets

Found Pets: 

Found Dogs Only - If you find a stray dog during the hours the shelter is open, you can call the animal shelter, 631- 643-9270, for an Animal Control Officer to come pick up the pet (within the Town of Babylon only), or you can bring the dog to the animal shelter yourself. 

If the stray dog is found after the shelter is closed contact the following for drop-off: VMCLI at 75 Sunrise Highway, West Islip, NY 11716, 631-587-0800 or Atlantic Coast at 2233 Broadhollow Rd., Farmingdale, NY 11735, 631-694-3400 

If you found a stray cat, call the animal shelter during office hours at 631-643-9270

Lost Pets: 

Town of Babylon Residents: Please send a photo to us Email: baarc@townofbabylon.com or text 631-831-8352 

You must come to the animal shelter to identify your pet 

  • If your dog is at our shelter, bring proof of a CURRENT Rabies vaccination PAPER CERTIFICATE when you come to redeem your dog; a Rabies tag cannot be accepted. 

You must provide proof of ownership with one or more of the following: 

  • Microchip verification 
  • Veterinary records 
  • Adoption paperwork/Bill of sale/Transfer of ownership 
  • Photographs/Videos may be considered on a case by case basis 

REDEMPTION FEES (CASH ONLY) 

Rabies Vaccination = $15 
Dog License = $6.50 (altered)/$16.50 (unaltered) 
1st Impoundment = $25 
2nd Impoundment = $35 plus $10/day per dog 
3rd Impoundment = $45 plus $10/day per dog 
4th Impoundment = $55 plus $10/day per dog 
5th Impoundment = $70 plus $10/day per dog 
$150 Surcharge Fee for all dogs picked up after hours, on weekends, and Holidays by an Animal Control Officer.

Multiple dogs for the same owner are considered accumulative impoundments over the owner’s and dog’s lifetime. 

  • By law, stray animals brought to a shelter are only held for five days - after which, if the animal is unclaimed, it can be legally adopted out to someone else. Don't wait around to see if your pet comes back on its own! File a lost report with every resource in your area right away (see below). The Town of Babylon Animal Shelter's phone number is 631-643-9270.
  • Bring a photo of your pet to each animal shelter in your area. A photo is significantly better than just a verbal description because it allows the staff to make a visual comparison. There may be a difference in opinion of breed, color, coat length, or a dog may have been groomed. For each shelter you contact, make a return visit every few days. While animal shelters try their best to match lost pets with their owners, the best way to find your pet is to actually walk through their kennels yourself. 

Lost Pet Checklist: 

  • If your dog is microchipped – call the company to make sure it is registered and that your contact information is current. If you don’t know the company, go to Pet Microchip Lookup . After you put in the chip number, the company you should call will be listed. Most shelters and animal hospitals will scan an animal on a stray intake. If it is an unregistered chip, it is considered a dead end. 
  • Call ALL Long Island shelters regardless of location. Your dog may have been lost in your township, and dropped off or escaped the finder in another town. Although we do not take dogs from outside our township, we can only rely on the finder to be honest with where the dog is found.
  • Visit the shelters immediately and return at least every few days. Do not depend on the shelter staff to contact you even though you have left your lost dog report. Your description may not be the same as the finder’s or as the shelter staff. There may be a difference in opinion of breed, color, coat length, or a dog may have been groomed. 
  • Call all Emergency facilities, dogs are often brought here when shelters are closed. These are a few facilities local to us: 
    • 631-694-3400 Atlantic Coast 
    • 631-587-0800 Veterinary Medical Center of Long Island 
    • 631-351-6116 West Hills Animal Hospital & Emergency Center 
    • 516-501-1700 Long Island Veterinary Specialists 
    • 631-462-6044 Veterinary Emergency Group 
    • 516-420-0000 Veterinary Referral & Emergency Center 
  • Call Animal Hospitals, send them a flyer with a photo in case the dog is brought there as a patient. 
  • Call groomers; send them a flyer with a photo in case the dog is brought there for grooming or bathing. 
  • Find your mail carrier; give them a flyer with your contact info so they call you with any possible sightings. Give them extra flyer copies to hand out to other local mail carriers. 
  • Put up fliers in your neighborhood, high foot traffic areas. Food stores, pet stores, boarding facilities, gas stations, Laundromats, libraries, post offices, near schools. 
  • Put a big sign up on your front lawn or in your front window with “LOST” and the description. 
  • Comb the neighborhood on foot & by car. Go out at night or early morning when it is very quiet. Call your pet by name or make calls and noises familiar to them; whistling, rattling a chain collar, squeezing a squeak toy, shaking a treat jar.
  • Leave a favorite bed or articles of your clothing at your property line to help a lost pet hone in on their own property.
  • Even the friendliest and most social pet may quickly become terrified and resort to a semi-feral state. Your very friendly house dog may even run from you, never mind strangers. If you have possible sightings, be in touch with Animal Control, cases like this are best resolved with the use of a humane trap being placed, to keep the dog from running more. 

Let your Computer do the Walking: 

Prevent Lost Pets: 

  • Microchipping is a great choice since animal shelters and veterinary clinics will have a scanner, allowing them to scan a pet for a microchip and trace it back to the registered owner. The Town of Babylon Animal Shelter will microchip your pet, with registration included, for the low fee of $25, cash only. Your pet must have a current Rabies Certificate for this service. Please call the shelter at 631-643-9270 to confirm availability.
  • Prior to losing your pet: Take several color photos of your pet from all different angles and with varying hair lengths for dogs that are groomed. Do this yearly as a dog’s appearance changes.
  • Proper identification is your single best chance for finding your missing companion! There are several kinds of pet IDs available: collar tags, tattoos, or microchips.
  • License your dog and put the dog license tag on their collar. When your dog is licensed, the animal shelter can contact you through that tag or the microchip that you have registered for your dog on the dog license.
  • Register your pet with the Suffolk County Sheriff.