How to Handle a Stray Animal In The Neighborhood

Finding a stray animal wandering around in the neighborhood can be both dangerous and saddening. While you may want to care for the stray animal, it is important to remember that is may be a wild animal without shots or proper care. Children, especially need to stay away from stray animals unless you know for certain that the animal is safe. Here are some tips for handling a stray animal in the neighborhood and finding ways to decide what to do with it.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Decide if you want to keep the stray animal around. Before you decide to give food and water to the stray animal, know that it will keep coming around if you feed it. If you don't mind having a stray animal running around your yard and you feel for the animal, then do give it what is needs to survive. However, beware that you may have no idea if the animal is wild or someone's pet so you'll need to treat it like it could be dangerous. Tell your children and family to be careful around the animal and never to go near it.

2. Alert neighbors and other children that you've found a stray animal. Others need to know to be safe due to a stray walking around. Also, you may find through word of mouth that the animal is someone's pet who got loose or free from their home. Take a picture of the animal or write down a description so that others will know what the animal looks like and can pass around that the stray animal is homeless. You could even put up posters alerting others that you've found a stray animal that could be someone's pet. Be sure to put down your phone number or address so that the owner (if there is one) knows who to contact to get their pet back.

3. Keep the stray animal away from other pets you have. Inviting a stray animal into your home could spell disaster to other pets you have. First of all, the stray animal may not have had it's shots or could be ill and spread any sickness to other pets you have. Secondly, pets you
   already own could become jealous and attack the animal or vice versa. It's best to leave the stray animal outside until you decide what to do with it. If you're concerned about it being warm or having shelter, make the stray animal a small home using outdoor chairs, boxes, blankets, and/or towels. Or let it stay in your garage. It will be safe if you provide it temporary shelter no matter what you use.

4. Make a decision regarding ownership of the pet. If you discover that the stray animal has no owner, you'll need to decide if you want to keep it or not. This can be a big decision and should be one you make with your family's involvement. If you decide to keep the stray animal, call your local vet immediately to get it medical attention. If you decide you cannot keep the stray, contact your local SPCA to have them come and get the animal. No matter what, make the decision to get the stray animal some form of medical attention so that you can be sure it's healthy and not dangerous to your family or neighborhood.

[goodselfme]

on 10/21/2009 Stray animals sometimes are not only a danger to children but other pets as well. These are good ways to treat stray animals that you state in your well composed post.TX