Where to Report a Lost Dog in Australia: Registries, Pounds and Groups

Quick answer: report your lost dog to your local council (and neighbouring councils), mark them missing on their microchip registry, call local vets and your state RSPCA or shelter, and post in local lost and found pet groups with a clear photo. Councils run the pounds that collect stray dogs, and vets scan found dogs for microchips, so those calls matter most.

1. Your council (and the ones next door)

Councils run or contract the pounds that collect stray dogs. Call your own council and the neighbouring ones, because dogs cross boundaries. Some councils publish found animals online; Blacktown in Sydney, for example, uses PetsOnline, and Brisbane City Council keeps a lost and found register (07 3403 8888). In NSW, see how to get your dog back from a NSW pound.

2. Your dog's microchip registry

Mark your dog as missing and check your phone number is current. The Lost Dogs' Home in Victoria notes there are several microchip registries in Australia. If you're not sure which one holds your dog's details:

Search your dog's microchip number on petaddress.com.au, which RSPCA Queensland and RSPCA Victoria both point owners to.
In NSW, use the NSW Pet Registry.
Ask your vet to look up the number from your records.

3. RSPCA and shelters in your state

Queensland: RSPCA Queensland runs a Lost and Found service. Register your dog as missing online or call 1300 363 736, and search their found pets daily.
Victoria: check The Lost Dogs' Home lost and found pages, plus your council's lost pets page.
Other states: contact your state RSPCA and the shelters near you, and ask how they list found animals.

4. Local vets

Finders often take dogs to the nearest vet, which can scan the microchip. RSPCA Victoria has made the same point. Call every vet within a few suburbs and leave a photo and your number. Northern Beaches locals: see our emergency vet, pound and RSPCA contacts.

5. Local lost and found pet groups

Most Australian suburbs and regions have community lost and found pet pages on Facebook. To find yours:

Search Facebook for "lost pets [your suburb or region]" and "lost and found pets [council name]".
Post in your suburb's community group too.
Use one clear photo, the suburb and time last seen, and your number. Our lost dog poster template has the wording.
Check the groups daily for found-dog posts, not just replies to yours.

6. On the ground

Letterbox drop and put up posters near where your dog was last seen.
Tell neighbours, walkers, posties and delivery drivers.
Give a flyer to your local police station if you think your dog was stolen. The Lost Dogs' Home suggests this.

7. If your dog wears an AirTag

Turn on Lost Mode in Find My so you're notified when it's detected, and share the location with helpers. See AirTag Lost Mode for a missing dog.

Keep going

RSPCA Queensland notes pets have turned up months after going missing. Keep calling pounds and checking found lists every day or two.

FAQs

Who do I call first when my dog goes missing?

Your local council or pound and nearby vets, then update your microchip registry. Search at the same time.

How do I find out which microchip registry my dog is on?

Enter the microchip number on petaddress.com.au, or ask your vet.

Should I report a lost dog to the police?

Usually only if you think your dog was stolen.

Before your dog ever goes missing, check your ID details and keep an AirTag on the collar in a Pawfetchers waterproof holder (AirTag sold separately).