Comments on: How to Handle a Found Dog

on 8/8/2006 Most pet owners today now microchip their pets, so it's most important that if you are able to get a hold of a dog that appears and acts friendly, you can take it right away to any major vet clinic or shelter just to have the neck and shoulder area checked for a microchip. Call first to make sure the chip reader is there and working properly. Embedded in the chip is a special code that can be read with an electronic device and the vet can help you call the proper company to locate the owner. If you can, please keep the dog till you find the owner. Most shelters simply do not have the time and money to post fliers, put up ads and talk to people in the neighborhood as you can. Many shelters must put the animal down in as little as 3 days if the owner cannot claim them! Try to post your ad, especially at convenient stores, grocery stores, park signs, on poles which can be read at a stop lights or stop signs where motorists are bored. Make your car a rolling ad with your posters taped to it whenever possible. If you didn't get all your pets microchipped, then do it now! It's very inexpensive and many, many pets are lost without collars or tags.

on 7/17/2006 I always carry a spare leash and collar, a pair of gloves, bottled water, bowl, blanket, and camera. If I come across a stray, I stay a safe distance away, take a picture of it and offer it water. If the animal does come for the water and seems friendly, I put on the gloves to make an assessment of overall health, checking for fleas, rashes etc. If it has any, be weary before you allow it in your vehicle in case it is contagious. If I don't pick up the animal, I have the picture and location to post for public viewing of the stray.

on 3/30/2006 Some shelters may hold an animal for only 48 hrs before it is made available for adoption by anyone. If it is a busy shelter that euthanizes animals, the animal may be killed soon after that.

Consider finding a rescue group, non-profit animal welfare organization, or a no-kill shelter that will accept the animal or provide alternatives that give the animal a better chance to be reunited with it's owner or find a new home.

on 3/17/2006 If the dog is missing it's tags or a collar, then take it to a vet or the nearest shelter and asked for it to be scanned. Just because there are no tags doesn't mean there isn't an owner who wants to find their pet. More and more animals have chips now and it's the best way to find their home.

on 1/5/2006 If you decide to bring a stray dog home to care for it while looking for it's owner, it is best to have the dog quarantined from any other pets. Because stray dogs have unknown medical histories and may not have been properly vaccinated, they can carry many harmful diseases or viruses to household pets. Choose one room that is easily accessible to the backyard or relieving area, but that can be closed off from other animals. Once the dog's owners have been found, disinfect the room with bleach or a high-quality disinfectant. Be sure that the house pets are current on their vaccinations, as well.

on 11/22/2005 If you have other dogs, be careful if your plan on introducing a stray dog to them. If you have a dog pen, it's probably best to keep the new dog there until you have found it a home.

on 11/22/2005 If a dog has been lost a long time, too much food or water can cause pancreatic shock and death.