Animal Shelter
St. Lucie County’s Animal Safety Division is now operating its own animal shelter, located behind the Midway Veterinary Hospital at 3404 West Midway Road, Fort Pierce Florida, 34982. Animals impounded by St. Lucie County’s Animal Safety staff will be temporarily housed at the county’s new shelter, while they attempt to reconnect lost pets with their owners.
Animals picked up by St. Lucie County’s Animal Services will be held at the facility on a five day stray hold before being transferred to various partnering rescues and/or adoption facilities. Images of the lost dogs and cats housed in St. Lucie County’s shelter can be viewed online at this location.
The shelter lobby will be open by appointment for the public to pick up their lost pets, surrender animals and/or register their pets with the county. The public hours will be:
- Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The facility is closed daily from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
To schedule an appointment, call 772-462-8120 during regular business hours. NOTE: Emergencies outside of regular business hours are encouraged to call 911 or 772-465-5770.
There are three different animal control agencies in St. Lucie County, so calling to double check your jurisdiction will help get you to the correct agency. You may also verify your jurisdiction using the "Know Your Jurisdiction" interactive map.
If Your Pet is Missing...
As soon as your pet goes missing, you should begin your search for your missing pet immediately. Time is of the essence! Be sure to check inside your home to confirm your pet isn’t just hiding somewhere. If your pet is not located, begin checking your property, adjacent properties and nearby roads continuing in the direction your pet was last seen.
If you are still unable to locate your pet, contact the Animal Safety Division at 772-462-8120 and file a lost report to see if your pet was dropped off at the shelter. You may also click here to view animals currently being held at the shelter. We also recommend you contact the surrounding counties and file lost report with their Humane Societies in case someone picked up your pet, drove to the neighboring county and turned the animal(s) in at their facility which is not uncommon. A list of area shelters can be found here.
You should also check with the local veterinary clinics to see if anyone has brought your missing pet into their facility to be scanned for a microchip or brought in for treatment for an injury.
When searching for your pet, be sure to post missing pet flyers in the immediate area with a photo and information about your pet along with your contact information. Be sure to speak with all of your neighbors and provide them with a missing pet flyer, as well as any walkers/joggers, lawn care people and delivery people. Be sure to check social media sites as well. The more you get the word out that your pet is missing, the more likely someone is to contact you if they seem them.
Click here for more tips on finding a lost pet
If You Find a Pet...
If you have found an animal, the first thing you should do is take the animal into a veterinary clinic to be scanned for a microchip, even if the animal is not wearing a collar. Just because the animal does not have a collar on does not mean the animal was abandoned. The number one reason that is given for an animal not wearing a collar is the owner forgot to put it back on after the pet was bathed. Accidents happen and the overall goal is getting the animal back home safely. If the animal does not have a microchip, contact the Animal Safety Division and file a found report. They will be able to tell you if an owner has called in a lost report so you can reunite them instead of the animal having to be turned into the shelter.
If you plan to hold onto the animal for a few days in an attempt to locate an owner, use social media sites to post found ads. Only release a photo, the date the animal was found and a general area in which the animal was found. Be sure that whomever claims the animal can give you specific details about the animal before handing the animal over to them (i.e. identifying marks, male or female, etc.,).
Remember: Things aren’t always what they seem… Before keeping the animal that you have found, give the owner a few weeks to try to claim them. There are times when pet sitters or care takers do not inform the pet owner that the animal has gone missing and the owners do not find out until they are back home; which can range from a few days to a few weeks. If you plan on keeping the animal, be sure to document all attempts you have made to locate an owner in case someone comes forward down the road to attempt to claim the animal.
