What to do if you find a dog?

Just wondering what everyone elses modus operandi is if they find a stray
dog.

My method is essentially:

1. Can I get to the dog?
If no -- They are on their own. I'll keep an eye out for them, over
the next little while, but I figure they should be able to make it home on
their own. (If I see them again later, I'll try again and try harder next
time)

2. If yes. Does the dog have a collar? Is there a phone number on it? If
yes, call that number. Dog hopefully goes home.

3. If no collar. Do any of the neighbours recognize the dog? I'll drive up
and down the street to see if anyone knows where the dog belongs.

4. If no, does the dog have a tatoo? Can I trace it? (petlynx.net, ckc.org)
Can the vet trace it?
5. If no tatoo, do they have a chip? (i.e. visit the vet and get them
scanned)
6. If no tatoo, and no chip, and can't find the owner, off to the local
shelter, and posters up on the mail box.

So far I have never made it as far as step 6. I did however just make it to
step 3 with a pair of labs with no collar, no tags, no chip, no tatoo. (got
to make you wonder a little...). Got as far as heading to the local shelter,
and decided 'well I'll just check one more place and see if they know them',
then I'll head to the shelter. Fortunately they did know where the dogs
belonged, and I got them home OK.

Dale

For the most part around here the dog catcher fines anyone who doesn't have
a tag so people are pretty good about buying tags so even if they have no
other id there is usually a county dog tag. I've returned 4 dogs this way.
They usually end up staying in the basement for the night then we call the
court house in the morning and get the owners phone# and call them. Thank
god they keep the books for the previous years because one of them had a two
year old expired tag on and thats how we found out who she belonged to.

I'm pretty good at catching any strays that I find. Dogs seem to trust me
and usually come right up to me.

Celeste

"Dale Atkin" <labrador1.DeleteThis@ibycus.com> wrote in message
news:ExERg.35678$E67.31611@clgrps13...
> Just wondering what everyone elses modus operandi is if they find a stray
> dog.
>
> My method is essentially:
>
> 1. Can I get to the dog?
> If no -- They are on their own. I'll keep an eye out for them, over
> the next little while, but I figure they should be able to make it home on
> their own. (If I see them again later, I'll try again and try harder next
> time)
>
> 2. If yes. Does the dog have a collar? Is there a phone number on it? If
> yes, call that number. Dog hopefully goes home.
>
> 3. If no collar. Do any of the neighbours recognize the dog? I'll drive up
> and down the street to see if anyone knows where the dog belongs.
>
> 4. If no, does the dog have a tatoo? Can I trace it? (petlynx.net,
> ckc.org) Can the vet trace it?
> 5. If no tatoo, do they have a chip? (i.e. visit the vet and get them
> scanned)
> 6. If no tatoo, and no chip, and can't find the owner, off to the local
> shelter, and posters up on the mail box.
>
> So far I have never made it as far as step 6. I did however just make it
> to step 3 with a pair of labs with no collar, no tags, no chip, no tatoo.
> (got to make you wonder a little...). Got as far as heading to the local
> shelter, and decided 'well I'll just check one more place and see if they
> know them', then I'll head to the shelter. Fortunately they did know where
> the dogs belonged, and I got them home OK.
>
> Dale
>