Lost + Found Dog Alerts

The Salt Hound Project · Community Dog Alerts

Help them
find home.

A moderated lost-and-found dog resource for the Bay Area and Monterey Bay. We publish clear, shareable alerts and connect every report with the official tools most likely to help.

Report a lost dog Report a found dog

Immediate danger? If a dog is injured, in traffic, acting aggressively or creating a public-safety risk, contact local animal control or emergency services first. Do not chase a frightened dog into danger.

Moderated before publishingRegional launch: Bay Area + Monterey BayLast resource review: September 17, 2026

Current board

Active dog alerts

No verified alerts are currently published.New submissions are reviewed before they appear here. If a dog is missing, begin the official reporting steps below now—do not wait for a Salt Hound listing.

Act now

The first hours matter.

If your dog is missing

  1. Search the immediate area calmly and ask neighbors to check garages, yards and cameras.
  2. Call the microchip registry and mark the dog missing; confirm your contact information.
  3. File reports with the municipal shelters serving your city and neighboring areas.
  4. Upload a clear face-and-body photo to Petco Love Lost and share a consistent alert locally.
  5. Check shelter listings repeatedly and visit in person when advised.
Report and search on Petco Love Lost →

If you found a dog

  1. Move the dog out of immediate danger only if you can do so safely.
  2. Have a veterinary clinic or shelter scan for a microchip; do not publish the chip number.
  3. Report the dog to the animal-control agency where the dog was found.
  4. Photograph the dog, note the exact found location privately and withhold one identifying detail.
  5. Require proof of ownership before transferring the dog to a claimant.
Report a found dog nationally →

The Salt Hound safety standard

Share enough to help. Withhold enough to protect.

No exact home addresses

Public alerts use a city and nearby cross streets or landmark. Exact locations stay private when necessary.

No money or codes

Never send a payment, deposit, gift card, login code or verification code to someone claiming to have a dog.

Verify ownership

Ask for veterinary records, dated photos, licensing or microchip confirmation and the withheld identifying detail.

What Salt Hound does

A careful signal—not an open posting wall.

Receive

A reporter emails the required facts and attaches a clear photo.

Review

We check completeness, remove sensitive details and request an official report number when available.

Publish

Approved alerts receive a clear status, location, date and shareable Salt Hound page.

Reconfirm

Alerts are marked reunited, closed or reconfirmed. Unconfirmed listings expire after 14 days.

Salt Hound amplifies community reports but does not determine legal ownership, take custody of dogs or replace animal control, shelters, veterinarians, microchip registries or established recovery networks.

Verified starting points

Use every appropriate network.

Contra Costa Animal Services — lost pet reporting and shelter searchesOfficial county resource for Walnut Creek and much of Contra Costa County; includes shelter and public-found listings. Joybound People & Pets — local lost-and-found guidanceWalnut Creek organization with practical lost/found steps and a Petco Love Lost connection. Petco Love Lost — national photo-based searchFree reporting and searching across individual and shelter-submitted lost and found pets. AAHA Universal Pet Microchip LookupIdentifies which participating registry may hold information for a scanned microchip; it does not display owner details.
Salt Hound — Salty Soul • Loyal Heart

Before you submit

Give us a report people can act on.

Attach one clear, recent photo showing the dog’s face and body. Include the date, city, nearest cross streets, description, collar details, safe contact method and shelter report number when available. Do not send your home address, full microchip number, identification documents or financial information.

Helpful answers

Lost and found dog alert questions

How do I submit a lost or found dog to Salt Hound?

Use the lost-dog or found-dog button on this page, complete the prefilled report and attach one clear photo showing the dog’s face and body.

Why are alerts reviewed before publication?

Moderation helps remove exact home addresses, microchip numbers, financial information, unsafe contact details, duplicate reports and suspected scams.

What should I do before waiting for a Salt Hound alert?

Contact the municipal shelter or animal-control agency, update or search the microchip registry, and report the dog through an established recovery network such as Petco Love Lost.

How long does an alert remain active?

Reports are marked reunited, closed or reconfirmed. A listing that cannot be reconfirmed expires after 14 days.

Open the complete Dog Resource Center →

Important: Publication is not guaranteed and does not verify ownership or the accuracy of every third-party statement. Salt Hound may edit, decline, suspend or remove a report for safety, privacy, duplication, missing information or suspected fraud. Never delay contacting the proper shelter, animal-control agency, veterinarian or emergency service while waiting for a listing.