Emergency Vet & Lost Dog Resources

24/7 emergency animal hospitals

These facilities take emergencies around the clock. If your dog is bleeding, struggling to breathe, may have eaten something toxic, or is showing sudden severe symptoms, call on the way so they can triage you at the door.

If your dog ate something toxic

Call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435. It is staffed by veterinary toxicologists 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. A consultation fee of $65 may be charged to your card. Before you call, grab the product package if you have it, note roughly how much your dog got into, and note when it happened. Do not induce vomiting unless they tell you to.

If your dog is lost

Move fast. Most lost dogs are found close to home, and the first hours matter most.

1. Search immediately. Check the house, yard, garage, and under porches first, then expand outward on foot. Bring treats and a leash. Dogs often circle back, so leave a gate or door open if you can do it safely.
2. Call your county shelter now (numbers below) and file a lost report. Stray holds are short, so do not wait until morning.
3. File a PawBoost alert at pawboost.com. It is free, and several NoVA shelters partner with PawBoost, so your alert goes straight into their system.
4. Check your microchip registration. Make sure your phone number is current with the chip company. If your dog is chipped but your number changed, a shelter cannot reach you.
5. Call your vet. Good Samaritans often bring found dogs to the nearest vet to be scanned for a chip.
6. Post locally. Neighborhood Facebook groups and Nextdoor move fast for lost pets. Include a clear photo, the cross streets where your dog went missing, and your phone number.
7. Go to the shelter in person. Phone descriptions are unreliable, and online listings can lag. Walk the kennels yourself, and bring photos, vet records, and proof of rabies vaccination to reclaim your dog.

Who to call, by county

Before it happens

• Collar with ID tags every time your dog leaves the house, even for the yard. Tags get dogs home faster than anything else.
• Microchip and keep the registration current. A chip with an old phone number is a dead end. Check it once a year.
• Keep recent photos on your phone, including any distinctive markings. You will need them for alerts and shelter visits.
• Save your county shelter's number in your phone now, while you are calm. Future you will be grateful.