It happens in a second: a gate left open, a startled dog on a walk, a door during trick-or-treating. Here’s what to do in Missoula, in order.

These steps come from Missoula Animal Services and the Humane Society of Western Montana (HSWM), two Missoula shelters. Check both.

If your dog is lost

• Report it to Missoula Animal Services using the online lost-and-found form on its lost and found page. Animal control officers process reports as quickly as possible.
• File a lost report on Petco Love Lost. HSWM uses it, and your report appears on its local map, where it can be matched with found pets (HSWM lost and found).
• Spread the word: tell neighbors, put up flyers nearby and post in local groups like Missoula Lost Pets!, Fetching Ted, PawBoost, Reddit and Missoula Craigslist lost and found.
• Check HSWM’s found-pets listings, which show the strays currently at that shelter.
• Visit or call both shelters. Missoula Animal Services: 6700 Butler Creek Road, 406-541-7387. HSWM: 5930 Highway 93 S., (406) 549-3934.
• If your dog wears a PetHub tag, which comes with a recent Missoula Animal Services license, use it.

If you find a dog

• Check for ID. Contact information may be on the collar itself, not just a tag.
• Scan for a microchip. HSWM says Petco, a vet clinic or the shelter can scan.
• Hold the dog if you can and ask neighbors nearby. HSWM notes that found animals “are usually within a mile of their home.”
• Report it to Missoula Animal Services with the same online form, and file a found report on Petco Love Lost.
• If you can’t keep the dog, call HSWM at (406) 549-3934.

Shelter hours

• Missoula Animal Services: Monday through Friday, noon to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 4 p.m.
• HSWM: Wednesday through Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m.

Both are closed on major holidays.

Do this today

The best time to prepare is before your dog goes missing. Make sure your dog wears a current license tag (fees and how to buy), and if your dog is microchipped, confirm the chip company has your current phone number.

Graphic: Save Our Doggy

Sources

• Missoula Public Health, Lost and Found Pets (checked Oct. 24, 2026): missoulapublichealth.org
• Humane Society of Western Montana, Lost and Found (checked Oct. 24, 2026): myhswm.org
• Missoula Public Health, licenses and permits: missoulapublichealth.org