The days surrounding the July 4th holiday are some of the busiest at Maricopa County Animal Care & Control. Hundreds of dogs and cats will arrive at shelters; most are found running the streets after being scared by fireworks and other holiday festivities. Unfortunately, many of the pets that enter shelters have no identification.

For residents with a pet that has gone astray, the County offers some tips to help find their Fido or Fluffy, beginning with contacting its Lost and Found Department at 602-372-4598.

Residents can also visit the Stray Animal map tool, which allows residents to actively post a location where a dog/cat was seen loose or where the animal was picked up from. Another resource is to register a lost pet with Petco Love Lost and view potential matches. Also, check out the 24PetConnect.com website. All animals that the County finds are listed there. Keep in mind that any animals brought in that do not have any identification (licenses or microchips), can only be kept for 72 hours as a “Stray – Hold.” After that 72 hours, the animal may become available to the public.

The County also says to keep looking. Many pets are found by residents that may not bring the animal to a shelter for several days. Post flyers in the neighborhood where the pet was lost, and don’t forget about social media, Nextdoor, Craigslist, and other free networking sources to get the word out about your pet. Consider Straydar, Lost Dogs Arizona and other Facebook groups.

Find additional resources at www.maricopa.gov/162/Lost-Found-Pet.