For finders

You found a pet. Thank you.

You stopped, which is the part most people don’t do. Here is what to do next — calmly, in order.

Illustration of a woman crouched sideways on a sidewalk with one hand low and open as a wary dog approaches a water bowl

Holding a Pawscout Tag?

Enter the code printed under the QR and you’ll reach the family in seconds.

If the pet is wearing a Pawscout Tag

Four steps, usually under two minutes.

  1. 1

    Scan the QR code, or type the code

    Point your camera at the tag, or enter the short code printed on it below. No app, no account — it opens a plain web page.

  2. 2

    Open the profile

    You’ll see the pet’s photo, anything the family wants you to know, and one-tap ways to call or email the right people.

  3. 3

    Reach the family

    Call first if you can — most families are minutes away. You stay anonymous unless you choose to share your details.

  4. 4

    Stay with them if you can

    A leash, a yard, a quiet room. Even ten minutes of company is the difference between a reunion and another chase.

If there’s no tag

Still worth searching nearby. Start close to where you saw them, ask neighbors to check yards and garages, and keep looking.

  1. 01

    Don’t chase

    A frightened animal runs from pursuit. Stop, crouch or sit, turn sideways, and let them come to you. Food helps. Calm helps more.

  2. 02

    Look close to home

    Start close to where you found them. Knock on nearby doors and ask — the family may live on the same street.

  3. 03

    Check for any ID

    A collar tag, a phone number stitched into a harness, a rabies tag with a clinic name. Any of these gets you to a person.

  4. 04

    Get a microchip scan

    Any vet or shelter can scan for a chip for free. It’s slower than a tag, but it works when nothing else does.

  5. 05

    Post locally, with a clear photo

    Neighborhood groups and lost-pet boards work. Include where and when, and keep one detail back so the real family can confirm.

Our promise to finders

Helping costs you nothing — not an app, not an account, not your privacy.

When you open a Pawscout profile, the family learns that their pet’s tag was scanned, the time, the kind of device, and — only if you allow it — a rough location. They never learn who you are unless you tell them. We will never put a paywall, a signup, or a sales pitch between you and a pet that needs to get home.

Look up a tag code