What to Do if You Find a Dog

Finding a dog can be a real dilemma. In some cases a dog will simply come up to you, and other times you may see one wandering in a lost sort of way. In either case, most kindhearted dog lovers are willing to do their part so he can be returned to his home.

Frequently, dogs will have an I.D. tag and, viola!, you phone the owner or animal hospital listed and you’ve done a good deed. But sometimes, the dog may have no apparent identification and you may be unsure what to do.

First, make sure the dog does not seem dangerous. The majority of dogs are not aggressive and most will come right up to you with a little friendly encouragement. If he seems safe, it is best to get him onto a leash as quickly as possible so you can help prevent a fateful ending. If you don’t have a leash, some rope can be used temporarily.

The next most logical thing is to walk around your neighbourhood with the dog a bit, asking people if they recognize him. Try to stay on main streets, as it’s possible that someone may be driving around searching for him. Frequently, this walk will result in finding where he belongs, as he may have simply gotten out of a gate left ajar.

If you have no luck with this, the next step is to place reports with local animal authorities. Spread the word to local veterinarians as well as placing reports with every local animal shelter. Just about every caring owner who has lost a dog will know to contact the shelter to see whether their dog has been found.

Smaller towns sometimes have animal control authorities, but most defer to the larger shelters in their areas (they don’t keep found dogs themselves). However, it is still a good idea to notify every one in your area and give them the information in case they are contacted.

If you are willing to keep the dog until the owner is found, it is still a good idea to take a trip to your local animal shelter. They can scan to see whether the dog has a microchip, which would have information kept in a database that will enable owners to be contacted.

Hanging flyers around your neighbourhood, on supermarket bulletin boards and in other public spots is another good way to let people know you’ve found a dog. Often, not only the owner, but also their friends and neighbours may be helping them search.

If the owner is not located through any of these methods, you’ll need to decide whether to bring him to the animal shelter yourself, or perhaps keep him or find him a new home. Either way, if you’ve taken the above steps with a found dog, you will have done a doggone good deed!