Did you find an animal? TMAS can help.

I have found..

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IF YOU HAVE FOUND A FRIENDLY, HEALTHY DOG:

  • Please check for ID tags and have the dog scanned for a microchip at a local veterinary clinic to see if it has an owner that it can be reunited with right away.
     
  • If the dog has no ID tags or microchip, here are some things to try before you bring the dog to the shelter:
     
  • Create a simple flyer and post it around the neighborhood where you found the dog.
     
  • Create a social media post that includes a photo and description of the dog as well as the location of where you found it. Try posting on your own social media accounts along with Nextdoor and local Facebook pages (Tuscaloosa Missing Pets, Tuscaloosa Missing & Found Animals, Cottondale Only Lost and Found Pets, Brookwood Alabama Only Lost and Found Animals, etc.).
     
  • Post a photo of the dog as found on Finding Rover, PawBoost, and Shadow App.
     
  • Consider keeping the lost dog in your home until the owner is found after reporting the animal to us.  We can help provide basic food, crate, and necessities while in your care for a specified amount of time.










    Need more help? Please contact 205-752-9101.
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IF YOU HAVE FOUND A 
FRIENDLY, HEALTHY CAT:

The vast majority of “stray” cats aren’t actually lost – they simply live indoors and outdoors – and will make their way home on their own.
If you feel the cat is truly lost, please check for ID tags and have the cat scanned for a microchip at a local veterinary clinic or at the shelter to see if it has an owner that it can be reunited with right away. 

If the cat has no ID tags or microchip, here are some things to try before you bring the cat to the shelter: 
 

  • Most cats don’t roam more than 6-7 houses from where they live.
  • Create a simple flyer and post it around the neighborhood where you found the cat.
     
  • Create a social media post that includes a photo and description of the cat as well as the location of where you found it. Try posting on your own social media accounts along with Nextdoor and local Lost and Found Facebook pages (Tuscaloosa Missing Pets, Tuscaloosa Missing & Found Animals, Cottondale Only Lost and Found Pets, Brookwood Alabama Only Lost and Found Animals, etc.). 
     
  • Post a photo of the dog as found on Finding Rover, PawBoost, and Shadow App.
     
  • Post a photo of the cat as found on Finding Rover, PawBoost, and Shadow App.
     
  • Consider keeping the lost cat in your home until the owner is found.  We can help provide basic food, crate, and necessities while in your care for a specified amount of time.

    Need more help? Please contact 205-752-9101.

HELP!  I found a kitten or kittens!

Found kittens outside and don't know what to do?  The dos and don'ts below will help you take steps to make the best decision for their care.

If kittens appear to be ill or injured, bring them to Metro Animal Shelter immediately or call 205-752-9101 so we can guide you toward the best steps for these animals.  Metro Animal Shelter only accepts animals from Tuscaloosa County.  If you are outside of this county or if the animals were found in another county, contact your local animal shelter.

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Found Kittens Dos and Dont's

DO monitor the situation.

Before you act, watch the kittens from a distance. The mother cat is probably nearby. If she doesn’t return within 4-6 hours, they may need assistance.

DON'T Panic.

If you are unable to care for unweaned kittens and they are truly orphaned, we can take them in.  But, please don't remove them simply because you don't see the mom in that moment.

DON'T let the circle continue! 

Spay or neuter! Metro Animal Shelter offers SNIP-IT tickets at the cost of $20.  Please call us at 205-752-9101 for more information.

DON'T move the kittens.

Unless they’re in danger, it’s best to leave unweaned kittens outside so the mother cat can care for them. If you must do something, you can place the kittens in a crate, but do not change their location.

DO volunteer to foster the kittens

If you determine the kittens are orphaned and you decide to care for them, we can provide resources to make your experience successful.  The shelter is overwhelmed with kittens and the best place for them is with their mom and out of the shelter environment.  We will gladly help you if you are willing to foster.

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DO be careful when 
handling kittens.

Baby kittens have a developing immune system and you may inadvertently give them disease. Older kittens may not be friendly and may scratch or bite you if startled or scared.

DO keep kittens 
separated from your pets.

This is to prevent fights and minimize the transmission of disease and parasites. Be sure your pets are up to date on vaccines.

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If You Have Found an Ear-tipped Cat.

If the cat appears healthy AND has an “ear tip” (part of one of the tips of its ears missing), it is a community cat that is already being looked after by one or more people in your neighborhood. Trapping an ear-tipped cat and bringing it to the shelter is extremely distressing and potentially fatal for the cat. Please leave a healthy, ear-tipped cat right where it is.

If You Have Found an Unfriendly Cat

Community/feral cats are not accustomed to human contact or handling and are free-roaming (they primarily live outdoors). For these reasons, they will be stressed by the shelter environment and do not need to be in the shelter. This is for the safety of both the cat and our staff.

We partner with T-SNIP in Tuscaloosa to spay/neuter and release community and feral cats.  Please visit Feral Cat Program - TSNIP to understand the importance of trapping and releasing feral/community cats and what T-SNIP can do to help if you find an unaltered community cat.

Additional Resources

If you are a first time community/feral cat trapper or just have found a community cat and unsure about trap/neuter/release programs, the following link to Alley Cat Allies is very helpful: https://www.alleycat.org/resources/how-to-help-community-cats-a-step-by-step-guide-to-trap-neuter-return/

If You Have  Found a Sick or Injured Animal

If you have found a sick or injured animal during our office hours, the animal can be brought to Metro Animal Shelter.  If you have found a sick/injured animal outside of our office hours, you must call animal control for your jurisdiction. 

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If You Have Found a Wild Animal

Spring is baby wildlife season. And as the weather warms, we get an increase in calls from good samaritans who have found baby wild animals like squirrels, opossums and birds. Generally, if you find a baby wild animal, the best thing to do is leave it alone.

The Alabama Wildlife Center Helpline provides advice and information on how to deal with all kinds of wildlife problems and emergencies.  205-663-7930, ext. 2 , 7 days a week.

For more information about wildlife, please visit Alabama Wildlife Center – A Champion for Alabama's Native Birds Since 1977
 

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All surrenders are by appointment only (unless it qualifies as emergency: severely sick or injured or unweaned without a mom) so the shelter is not overwhelmed and over capacity. If you have considered every option and all the information above and still wish to surrender, call TMAS 205-752-9101 with any questions or schedule an appointment.

Found Pet Form

Please fill out this form if you have found a pet that you would like to notify us about.