Emergency right now?
Call before you drive - hours and services change. If you are in danger on a highway shoulder, call 911 first.
Lost or found pet in St. Johns County
Found dogs and cats in St. Johns County go to the county Pet Center on Stratton Road, run alongside county Animal Control. By county ordinance, a stray over six months old is held at least three days (weekends and holidays not counted), and under six months with no chip or tag, at least two. That is not long when you are driving home tomorrow, so call on day one and visit in person if you can.
The county says microchipped dogs are more than twice as likely to make it home, and it chips pets for $10 at the Pet Center.
Emergency and after-hours vets
There is no confirmed round-the-clock animal hospital inside the county. SARVEC in St. Augustine - a small emergency center backed by local vets to fill that gap - covers weeknights and weekends, and ECoVets is open 6am to midnight - between them most hours are covered, but call first. The nearest hospitals open around the clock every day are VEG and BluePearl in Jacksonville, about 35 to 45 minutes up I-95 from downtown St. Augustine.
Veterinarians by town
Established clinics with their own websites, grouped by area. Call early in the day if you need a same-day visit.
St. Augustine Beach & Anastasia Island
Every one of our pets has been a patient here.
Right next door to our office.
St. Augustine
Ponte Vedra & Nocatee
St. Johns & Fruit Cove
Elkton & Hastings
Injured wildlife, or a run-in with it
St. Augustine's beaches are sea turtle nesting ground from spring through fall - a hatchling heading the wrong way or a stranded turtle is an FWC call. For an injured bird, call The Ark; for an injured raccoon, possum or turtle, the Wildlife Rescue Coalition.
Hurricane season: pet-friendly shelters
St. Johns County opens two pet-friendly public shelters when an evacuation is ordered. They take dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and small caged pets - no exotics. Pets stay in a separate animal area with set visiting times, so bring a crate, food, water and bowls, leash, medications and a photo of you with your pet. If you are only visiting, the better plan is to leave early and book a pet-friendly hotel well inland.
About St. Johns County
St. Johns County runs from the Duval County line at Ponte Vedra down past Crescent Beach, and west to the St. Johns River. The county seat is St. Augustine; the other city is St. Augustine Beach. The fastest growth is up north – Nocatee, Ponte Vedra, Fruit Cove and the St. Johns area off County Road 210 – while the southwest around Hastings and Elkton is still potato and cabbage farmland.
Highways through it: I-95 runs the length of the county, with exits for CR 210, International Golf Parkway, SR 16 and SR 207. US 1 parallels it closer to town, and A1A follows the coast over the Bridge of Lions. SR 16, SR 207 and SR 206 cut west toward the river and the farm country.
What catches pets out here:
- Leash rules are strict. Off your own property, a dog has to be on a leash or restraint of no more than 12 feet, including on the beach. A dog picked up running loose is microchipped by the county at the owner’s expense.
- Alligators live in every pond and ditch, including retention ponds in new neighborhoods. Keep dogs leashed and back from the water’s edge, especially at dusk.
- Blue-green algae blooms on the St. Johns River. The health department posted an alert for the river at Watson Island in July 2026 – keep pets out of discolored or scummy water.
- Venomous snakes – all six of Florida’s venomous species live in this part of the state. In the woods and palmetto, keep dogs on the trail.
- Rabies vaccination is required for dogs, cats and ferrets over four months old, under both state law and county ordinance. Travel with the certificate – a shelter asks for it at reclaim.
Before you drive through
Most lost dogs on a road trip get out at a gas stop. Four cheap things make the call above far less likely - or far shorter.
These Amazon links are affiliate links - we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How this works
Every listing on this page was checked against an official source in September 2026. How we check
These listings come from public sources - business websites, county and state agencies. Apart from the few marked "We've been here", being listed is not a recommendation - we have not used them and do not rank them; we list that they exist and how to reach them. Always call ahead.
Number changed or a place closed? Report a correction