You can see animals that have been brought to the hospital recently. When a good Samaritan or first responder brings an injured or ill stray animal to DoveLewis, our hospital staff takes several steps to treat the animal and find its owner. Pets in our care are then transported to a county shelter if their owners have not been located. If a pet’s injuries are more severe, the animal could remain at DoveLewis until he or she is well enough to be transferred to the shelter’s care.

If you don’t have your microchip number or the name of the manufacturer, contact your veterinarian’s office or the veterinarian where the chip was implanted. They should have that information on file. Learn more about how to help your lost pet. 

We want to reunite all lost pets with their families, but our teams must stay focused on injured or ill patients. We do have helpful resources available, including a poster template that you can use to ask your friends, family and neighbors to keep an eye out for your pet. 

You should always call the Audubon Society if you find an injured wild animal during the day. They will assess the situation and either transport the animal themselves or give you further instruction. If you have any reservations about rescuing or handling a stray animal, call your local county shelter. Learn more about what to do if you find a stray or wild animal. 

DoveLewis can only take injured animals. If you see no obvious injuries or unhealthy behavior, take the animal to a nearby veterinarian to check for a microchip or drop him off at a local county shelter. If the animal seems aggressive, you can always call the shelter instead of taking the animal yourself.

Good Samaritans often come across baby animals, especially birds, that seem to be abandoned. More often than not, these babies are being cared for by their parents even if it’s not immediately obvious to a person. Some bird species leave the nest and spend as many as 2-5 days on the ground before they can fly. During this time, the birds are learning vital life skills. So, unless you see a visible injury, it’s best to leave it to nature. Uninjured wildlife should never be touched.