Help us reunite found strays with families
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
3 of 3 free articles.
You’re driving down the road and this cute puppy, or maybe an older dog, is running down the road looking scared and lost. Being the animal lover you are you stop and invite this puppy to join you in your car and he jumps right in. Phew, he is safe and rescued from harm. Now what? You decide he must be lost or abandoned. He looks skinny and needs your help. He needs a new home — you can offer him that.
Yes, he does need help, but please think this scenario through. What if he does have a loving home and his family is frantically searching for him? What if he is unhealthy and you add him to your pack at home? What if he becomes aggressive or too big for your home?
Now what? You need to re-home him yet again after keeping him for two, three or more weeks and no one knew you had him. He is now not considered a stray anymore, he is yours.
Thank you for caring and thank you for taking this dog home, but please try to find his original family. Call the shelter and file a found dog report, call your veterinarians, take him to see if he has a microchip, put up flyers, call the radio station, check with law enforcement.
Many times we get a call from people who need to bring a dog to the shelter when they have held on to it for a number of weeks.
Thank you for caring and offering him a home, just please let us know when you find him so we can try to get him reunited with his family.
There are so many caring people who will keep a stray dog until we can find his family or bring him in to the shelter, but then, we know they have the dog in their care.
To those of you who love your dogs — please get them a collar and ID. A microchip is even better to get a pet back home fast.

