Animal Control

Lost Pets

Bowie Animal Control makes an effort to return all lost and injured animals to their owners in the community before transporting them to the Prince George’s County Animal Control Facility located on Brown Station Road in Upper Marlboro. (Phone number: 301-780-7200).

Our efforts to return your pet are increased greatly when the animal has a current license and registration. The growing use of microchips also helps us identify the owner(s) of an animal and may save residents from traveling to the County facility.

When an animal is picked up, our officers will canvass the immediate area to determine whether an owner can be identified. Often times, a resident will contact our offices to inquire about a lost animal, and staff verifies whether it was reported lost and or found. If staff cannot determine an owner, or the animal is injured, it may be transported to either an area veterinarian for an immediate evaluation and treatment, or to the County Animal Control Facility.

Transporting animals to Upper Marlboro is time consuming for City staff and upsetting to your pet. Pet owners can reduce the chances of their pets being taken to the shelter, by doing the following:

License your pet with the Prince George's Animal Management Group.

This can done in person at City Hall or at the Prince George Animal Control Facility at 3750 Brown Station Road in Upper Marlboro. The telephone number there is 301-780-7200.

Keep your contact information current.

Make sure the registration information is accurate and that it gets updated when your contact information changes. To make updates to your information, call 301-780-7200.

Keep a collar and current tags on your animal.
Make sure your pet wears a collar at all times and that current tags are on the collar.  Remember to keep your pet’s shots up-to-date.  An animal that has been roaming is more likely to come into contact with another animal infected with rabies, lyme disease, etc.

Have a current photograph of your pet available.

Consider having a microchip put in your pet.
A microchip can be embedded in your pet by your veterinarian.  The tiny devices, only about the size of a grain of rice, have a unique number that scanners at most animal shelters can read. When pets with microchips come into shelters, the staff can quickly identify their owners by checking the numbers with the microchip's maker.  The cost is usually less than $40. Remember to register your pet's microchip and update the contact information when it changes. Click here for information about a special discounted microchip offer through a local veterinarian.

Register for Pet Pickup Alerts

There is one more thing you can do that may help you when you lose a pet.  Register for Pet Pickup Alerts from Bowie Animal Control.  When an animal is picked up in Bowie and the owner can’t be identified or located, an alert will go to Pet Pickup subscribers giving the description of the animal. The alert will provide a link to a page on this website containing a photograph and more details about where the animal is located.  The service is free and alerts will only be sent to those who subscribe to receive them. Subscribers have the option of having the text alert sent to their email account and/or to their cell phone.

Learn more about Pet Pickup Alerts and register for this free service.