What to do if you've lost or found a dog
Have you found a lost dog? There are a few things you need to do before you can either place that dog with a rescue or find another home for them. We CANNOT take found dogs into our care, but are happy to help you complete the necessary steps to make sure that dog either finds their owner or is legally able to be placed in another home.
-
The best thing to do is bring the dog directly to your local shelter. They will scan for a microchip, and create a file so that if their owner comes in or calls, they have the dogs information on record. If you leave the dog at the shelter, the owner has 3-10 days to get their dog and if they do not show up, the dog is then available for adoption.
-
If you do not want to leave the dog at the shelter, they will let you know how a "public stray hold" works. You are still legally obligated to leave the animal's information with the shelter, but then you can take the dog home and keep them safe and happy while the shelter gives the owner time to come find their missing doggy. Most counties public stray hold period is 30 days. After that 30 days, the dog is then available to rehome or if you've fallen in love, keep forever!
-
If you cannot easily get to the shelter to do the above steps, call the shelter immediately and let them know where you found the dog and give them a brief description. Then take the dog to a local vet and have them scan for a microchip. If you are lucky, the dog has a microchip that leads to the owner and they can come get their doggy! If they do not answer, or the microchip is not registered, you can then call the shelter back and give them all of the information they need to create a file for that dog.
-
If the shelter is not open, and you cannot keep the dog, animal control will not come pick them up unless they are injured or aggressive. The best thing to do is to try and keep them safe for the night until the shelter is open again.
-
If you are confused by any of this, please call your local shelter and ask them what you should do to ensure you are following your counties laws.