The Stray Dog and Rescue Options

Many people contact our rescue organization to ask us to take in a stray dog they have found, hoping to eliminate a trip to the animal shelter where the dog may be put to sleep (euthanised), if not reclaimed by the Owner. 

Rescue organizations are unable to accept strays, as a good-faith effort to locate the Owner must be made for a minimum of 30 days before a dog can be adopted, when not processed through Animal Control. 

Here are some important steps for those who have found a stray:

1) Post flyers throughout the area where the dog was found;

2) Talk to neighbors to see if anyone knows the dog, and where the dog lives;

3) Take the dog to a veterinarian or animal shelter and ask to have him/her scanned for a microchip. The microchip will provide the name and phone number of the Owner, if it was registered with the microchip company;

4) Place "Found" adverts in your local print newspapers (OC Register) and on-line at Craigslist, Kijji, PennySaver and K-9 Alert.com.  These must run for 30 consecutive days;

5) File a "Found Dog" report with the local animal shelters in the area.

If the Finder of the stray dog has made a good faith effort to locate the Owner by following the steps above and the Owner does not reclaim the dog, most counties will consider the dog to be the property of the Finder. 

After these steps have been taken, and there is written proof that these steps have been executed then at that time the dog may be placed with a rescue organization so that a new, adoptive home may be found. 

If you have found a stray, be sure to keep copies of your Good Faith efforts to locate the rightful Owner for yourself, and the perspective rescue organization of your newspaper ads, flyers and other details to prove your effort to locate the dog's Owner was made.