People grieve the loss of a beloved pet, and it is natural for them to want another.
However, if the new family fails to notify the old owner that their pet has been taken and adopted permanently or euthanized. Therefore, if you find a lost pet, it is essential that, if possible, the following steps are followed when taking steps:
- Contact your local shelter
When your dog becomes lost, you must contact a shelter immediately. Doing this increases the odds of finding its owner quickly while guaranteeing adequate animal care. Spreading the word via social media may help reach a larger audience and increase the chances of finding it faster.
Check their collar for any identifiable information if you find a lost pet. An ideal situation would be having ID tags with owner information and microchip numbers that connect to a registration service that can contact them as quickly as possible.
If you discover a lost dog, contact nearby shelters and non-emergency police numbers to inform them of its discovery. They can then alert their constituents that their pet has been turned in and scan for microchips on it if available.
If your neighborhood has a website like Nextdoor, post an image and description of where the dog was found to let neighbors keep an eye out. It may also help reunite it with its family! Furthermore, contact any shelters outside your immediate location, as they could contain your lost pet if it travels elsewhere.
- Contact your veterinarian
No matter the circumstances surrounding a dog wandering independently, it is always advisable to consult a veterinarian before taking them in. This will ensure they remain safe and healthy and help help determine whether it belongs to someone. For example, if they appear near busy roads, they could very well belong to an owner who needs your intervention for safety measures.
Check your pet for microchips—even if he or she is not wearing a collar—because these microchips can help identify its owner. Take your pet to a vet office, shelter, or pet store so it can be scanned and registered with you.
Spread the news quickly that you have found a lost pet by posting flyers in high-traffic areas or knocking on doors to ask if anyone has seen it. Doing this immediately is crucial, as many pet owners begin searching within days of losing their animal.
If you already own other pets, it is wise to keep any lost animal away from them until cleared by a veterinarian. Doing this will reduce stress for all involved while decreasing the chances that their newcomer introduces illness or parasites into their community.
- Visit the shelter
If you find a lost dog, visit your local shelter before taking them home. By filing a found pet report with them and giving their owner a chance to retrieve it again, many shelters now maintain an online lost and found database where pet owners can search.
Remember that behind each skinny, skittish, or scared dog may be a family searching for their lost pet. Additionally, it is wise to be patient when dealing with a stray animal since it likely has been without its owners for some time and may require time to adapt to new family lives.
Before adopting any dog, it’s advisable to scan it for a microchip. This will not only reunite lost pets with their original families but also give adoptive families information, such as whether the animal gets along well with children and other pets.
Also, it’s wise to get the animal checked out by a veterinarian to ensure it is up-to-date with vaccinations and has not been exposed to other animals that might cause bites. Finally, keep the dog separate until given approval from the vet to mingle with other pets, as this will reduce stress for all involved animals.
- Contact your local police.
If the animal can be safely restrained, contact your local police (or, in rural areas, sheriff’s department). Be sure to provide a detailed account of where and when you saw your dog; alert animal shelters and control departments of its presence so they may keep an eye out. It would also be helpful to inform them if it has a microchip; they can contact veterinarians if anyone has seen your pet.
Call all area vets, humane societies, and animal control to inform them that your pet has gone missing, asking if you could leave posters of them in their waiting rooms and leaving contact details so they can reach out immediately if your animal comes back into care.
Consider asking family and friends to split into small groups and search nearby areas for your dog, increasing your odds. Social media sites and neighborhood apps like Nextdoor may be beneficial in spreading the word online about a lost pet. Be sure to include large photos with detailed captions as well as any pertinent details, such as the animal’s name and markings. It might even be worthwhile offering a reward should they return, though only if financially possible, as doing so may add value to it and tempt people to sell it!
- Contact your insurance company.
As much as people enjoy stories of lost dogs reuniting with their owners, some families cannot care for them. It’s therefore crucial that when considering whether a new dog would fit your home and lifestyle, it be carefully evaluated for compatibility; factors to take into account include how it will interact with existing pets or siblings, exercise requirements, and whether work or school schedules interfere.
Before adopting a lost dog, consult with your local veterinarian or shelter officials to gather as much information as possible about its health – for instance, rabies, distemper, and parvo vaccination statuses; whether or not the pet has been microchipped; who its current owner might be; microchipping status and information regarding owners who would like the microchip number returned if any exist, etc.
Ask the shelter if they possess official proof of ownership, such as registration or license papers, so you can verify if the dog belongs to them, especially if they appear unwilling or upset upon your approach. Furthermore, I request they scan it for microchipping or check its collar for tags with contact details, as some states mandate shelters to hold lost/stray animals for several days before rehoming them. Hence, the original owners can come forward and reclaim them.
- Contact your bank
At shelters across the United States, thousands of pups from Fidos to Bellas await forever homes – but many become lost or stolen after adoption. To help prevent this from happening again, Nicole Asher of Buddha Dog Rescue and Recovery’s successful dog-finding tactics – having brought home animals that had traveled 80 miles with a coyote pack! – has created this step-by-step guide for adopters.
If you find a pet, it is crucial that you understand and abide by your legal rights to reclaim it. Most states allow people who make reasonable attempts to reach the owner or place the animal in public view for some period of time to legally take the animal into their care—this might include reaching out to local police or placing the animal online or at a public pound.
