Found a Dog

If you find a stray dog or cat, keep in mind that the animal may be a lost pet, and someone could be frantically searching for him/her. Cats and dogs get loose for one reason or another and may become lost. If a lost pet has been on the run for weeks or months, he or she is going to be dirty and skinny and have fleas, even if he/she escaped from a wonderful home.

Here are some tips to help you reunite the animal with his or her person:
  • If the animal has no ID tag, put a temporary one on him/her. Include your name and phone number so that if the pet gets lost a second time, he or she will be returned to you.
  • Report the dog found to Animal Control in your city or county (numbers below). You do not have to turn the animal over to them, but you must notify them that you found the animal. Animal shelters in the area are beyond full, so if you can hold onto the dog, even for a few days, it is helpful.
  • Take the animal to be scanned for a microchip. Your vet or local shelter likely has a scanner to check for the chip. Also, check the animal's ears for a tattoo, as this is sometimes used as a form of pet identification.

Where to List and Look
  • Check the lost and found section in local newspapers, craigslist, and Facebook pages (listed below). Lost pets can travel some distance (either on their own, by hitchhiking on a vehicle, or by being rescued and then lost again in a new location) and may be farther away from home than you think.
    • Alamance Co, NC PETS
    • Lost and Found Pets of Alamance County and Surrounding Areas
    • Lost and Found Pets of North Carolina
    • Friends of Alamance County, NC DOGS
  • Create flyers. Take a good photo of the pet, write a basic description and then access the free, easy-to-use flyer maker program at  pawboost.com to create your flyers. As with newspaper ads, leave out some information so you can ask specific questions of possible owners to help verify that the pet is really theirs. Print out the flyers, attach them to brightly colored poster board, and write "FOUND DOG" (or cat) in large black letters across the top, to ensure that the flyers are noticed. 
  • Post the flyers in the vicinity where the animal was found, at local businesses and in other places in your community. Email the flyers to your friends, family members and other contacts in the surrounding area, and ask them to alert others. Post the flyer on social networking websites, such as Facebook.

Verify the person's identity:
There are people who monitor lost and found pet ads in an attempt to scam unsuspecting animal lovers by claiming animals and then selling them for lab research. So, use caution and ask questions before you give the animal to someone claiming to be the owner.
To ensure that you have found the real owner, here are a few tips:
  • Ask the caller to bring a photo of the animal to the meeting place.
  • Ask for the phone number of the caller's veterinarian, and make a follow-up call to verify the information.
  • See how the animal reacts to the caller in person. If you are not satisfied, ask for more proof of ownership.
  • Remember to get the owner's full name, phone number and address.
If you've done all of the above and a lengthy period of time elapses with no owner coming forward, it's time to think about the pet's future. If you decide to keep the animal, make sure to have him or her checked by a vet and spayed/neutered.


Legal Considerations:
If the animal is a dog, you’ll want to ask if they have contacted animal control. The law requires that Animal Control be notified, so that the owner, if there is one, can find the dog. Doing this does not mean that callers must relinquish all concern for the dog – they may keep the dog while the owner is being sought. They are required to hold the dog for three to five days, but do allow an individual to put a possible hold on dogs that are in their care.