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What to Do If You Find a Lost Dog: 5 Steps to Follow

Jeff Weishaupt

By Jeff Weishaupt

lost dog

Losing your dog is no less terrifying than losing something very dear to you. It hurts the same, but you have hope that your little buddy is still somewhere out there searching for you. At the same time, you’re unsure how to find them and whether they are safe or fed.

That’s why it’s important to know what to do if you find a lost dog that no pet and their parent has to suffer this pain. But how can you reunite a pup with their owner? The best solution is to contact local shelters and animal control institutions to connect with the pet’s family.

But an even bigger question is: what’s the right way to approach a lost dog? Every breed is different; some are of low temperament and easy to handle, while others can be aggressive and quite hard to deal with. So, what should be your course of action in these situations?

If you have found a lost dog, follow these steps to calm the animal and reunite them with their parents.

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The 5 Steps to Follow When You Find a Lost Dog

1. Develop a Plan for Approaching the Dog

A lost dog usually seems anxious and clueless. Your first thought would be to run toward them to calm them down. Don’t do that. Not every dog welcomes strangers well and can get aggressive in fear or stress.

So, the right way to approach a lost dog is to observe their mood and body language. If they look relaxed, walk slowly toward them. If they startle or step backward, try turning your body sideward instead of facing them eye to eye. That’s a less intimidating approach.

As you reach close to the dog, squat down and gently take your hand close to them so they can smell you. Ensure not to maintain direct eye contact with the pet, or else they may get uncomfortable. Give the animal some time to understand that you’re harmless.

When the dog seems comfortable with you, reach for their collar to learn their name and their owner’s contact information. However, if they look aggressive, you can use dog treats to show you’re a friend. Never grab or restrain the dog in these situations or you will end up getting hurt.

To understand whether a dog is aggressive, look for these signs:

  • Stiff body language
  • Bared teeth
  • Hair standing on end

A wagging tail may not always indicate friendliness. Instead, it could mean that the animal is emotionally aroused. Besides, some dogs can also have rabies or any other disease that can severely affect you. So, be extra cautious!

If you’re hesitant to approach the lost dog, you can capture their photo or video to have a better description of the animal. It will help you during your interaction with the animal control authority, posting online, and sending out flyers.

scared dog hiding in grass
Image Credit: Isa KARAKUS, Pixabay

2. Ensure the Dog’s Safety

After the dog seems relaxed and cozy in your company, the next thing you should do is to ensure their safety until animal control arrives.

You can take them to your home or backyard or secure them with a leash at the spot where they were originally present. If you leave the dog behind, they can go into the hands of the wrong person or run somewhere really far.

However, take them to your home if you don’t already own pets. Many animals see a lost dog as a threat and may start acting out aggressively. There is also a chance that the dog might have parasites like ticks or fleas, which can be a danger to your pet’s well-being.

So, as a preventive measure, keep the lost dog in the yard and your pets inside the home. This way, they won’t interact, and there will be fewer chances of any mishap. Just ensure the dog gets enough shade and warmth, depending on the weather conditions.

Remember to inform your local shelters before taking the dog to your home. It could be possible that their parents contact the shelters to find their dog instead of getting in touch with you. Thus, always provide full information about the lost pet to all your local shelters to increase the odds of reuniting them with their owners.


3. Check for Identification Information on Their Collar

Now that the lost dog has become your friend, try reaching out to their collar to check their ID. Almost all pet dogs have a tag on their collar with their general information (the pet’s name) and owner’s ID (name, contact number, or address). Always grab the collar gently to not alert the dog or make them aggressive.

However, some dogs are microchipped for identification purposes. These microchip implants are the size of a rice grain, called radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. They consist of a unique identification number for your dog and are inserted into their body as a permanent ID.

Only a microchip scanner can access the information on microchip implants, which the animal control department, vets, or pet shelters have access to. So, if you can’t find an ID tag on the lost dog, contact any of these professionals to scan the microchip and find the pet’s parents.

White miniature schnauzer in an orange collar stands in a meadow
Image Credit: Ira Demydenko, Shutterstock

4. Spread the Word About the Lost Dog

While the animal control authority carries out the identification process, start alerting about the incident in your neighborhood and the area you found the dog. Begin this step by contacting your family, friends, and social media followers and asking if they know someone looking for a dog.

If not, ask them to share this news with the dog’s pictures in their circle. Also, share that you’re currently taking care of the animal. Doing so will spread the word to a larger public.

However, if the dog was aggressive and you couldn’t approach them, social media posting can help you find the animal and their parent. Just upload the pictures and videos you captured on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp groups or popular pet-finding pages. You can also share the post on your social media account and ask your followers to reshare it.

Ensure your post is comprehensive and contains all the information about the lost dog. It includes any unique ID mark on their body, the area where you found them, and time—anything that could be useful.

Besides social media, you can browse lost pet listings online and post a message about the dog. One such website is “Pet Finder,” which allows people to find a dog or a cat based on states and cities. The chances are that their owner might be looking for their lost pet on these platforms.

When finding a lost dog’s parents, old-school methods can help a lot! You can print flyers with the dog’s photo and your contact information and post them on every window and door across your neighborhood. Don’t forget to visit your nearest cafes, hospitals, vet offices, and barbers to request them to paste these flyers on their noticeboards.


5. Contact the Right Places

If the dog’s collar has sufficient identification information, you can easily reunite them with their parents. Just dial the owner’s number on your phone and let them know that their beloved pet is safe with you. Send them your address and ask them to pick up their dog whenever convenient.

However, if the tag doesn’t have the contact information but the owner’s address, you’ll have to take the dog for a drive to their parents. But only do that if you know how to handle a dog in different situations. These animals can get aggressive anytime and may try to pull the leash to run away.

Just keep them leashed until you hand them over to their parents. If they are not home, don’t just tie the dog to the front door and leave. The pet may already be very anxious, so you can’t leave them alone like this. Wait some time for the owners to return. If they’re gone for a long period, you can always come another time.

If you don’t have expertise with a dog, leave the matter to the animal control authority. This is also a good option if the pet doesn’t have an ID tag on them. The professionals will try to identify the animal’s family in different ways.

In case you don’t get a response from animal control, try contacting the police department or your local shelters. If the dog seems hurt or injured, take them to a vet first for urgent medical treatment, and then start searching for their family.

woman making a phone call
Image Credit: guvo59, Pixabay

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Conclusion

Finding a lost dog can be challenging and nerve-wracking, especially when you have no idea what to do. It’s hard to determine if the dog is friendly or aggressive and whether you should take them to a local shelter, animal control authority, or your home.

Hopefully, the above steps helped you prepare for the next time you encounter a lost dog. Just look for the signs of aggression before approaching a missing dog. If they seem angry, stressed, or anxious, give them some time to relax to make them feel safe. Then, check their ID tag to contact their parents.

Don’t forget to inform the local shelters and the animal control authority about the lost dog. Most pet parents contact these places before checking social media posts.

 

Featured Image Credit: Kazantseva Olga, Shutterstock

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