Abandoning an animal leaves a trusting, confused creature to face an almost certain death sentence. Your pet trusts you. Left alone, they are terrorized as they wait anxiously for you to return, not understanding why they were left behind. Left outside, domestic animals face extreme heat or cold, being hit by cars, being attacked by predators, illness, and/or painful starvation.

Domestic animals can include cats, chickens, dogs, ducks, ferrets, fish, geese, guinea pigs, hamsters, hedgehogs, lizards, rabbits, rats, snakes, turtles...and so many more species.

Not only is abandoning an animal incredibly cruel, it is also a crime as outlined in Utah Code 76-13-202 with heavy fines and jail time. Please ask for help!

If you are in a situation where you are thinking about or have thought about dumping an animal for whatever reason, whether it’s your own, or an animal you found, please pause! Contact your local animal shelter or rescue first to see what your options are. Most shelters and rescues are willing to help you with information and resources. If a shelter or rescue cannot help you take in the animal at the moment, please understand it is in many cases, if not all, due to the simple fact that their facility is at full capacity. If you wait a few days or weeks, space may clear up and a facility can then safely take in your animal.

If you have found a stray animal, please understand that not all shelters and rescues can take in strays. In these situations, contact the designated animal control authority for your community as they likely have the capability to scan for a microchip and allow a "stray hold" in case the “stray” is not a stray and has an owner! If you find a stray, please don’t let dumping the animal at a shelter be your first choice! We ask that you please do your part to see if the stray you’ve rescued is in reality someone’s beloved pet who is missing.

In Highland City, the designated animal control authority is Lone Peak Police Department, and you may contact them via Central Utah 911 non-emergency dispatch at (801) 756-9800. Below are a list of resources you may consider for help and guidance in your situation.

Note: For wildlife rehabilitators, nuisance control, and rattlesnake aversion training for dogs, visit the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.