What To Do If You Find A Loose, Wandering or Lost Pet

If you find and decide to hold onto a pet rather than take it to the shelter, the law requires that certain steps need to be taken. The animal must be reported as found, and "every reasonable effort made to locate the owner".

1. You have to file a found report with local shelters, humane societies, animal control. If you are in Delaware here is the link to the state-wide lost/found site.

2. You must advertise that this animal was found. Ideally, leave some minor detail out that only the owner would know - i.e., small scar on left leg, etc. Things like that is one way you can ensure the person claiming to be the owner is legit.

3. You have to plan on keeping the found pet for the same amount of time as a stray hold, minimum 5 days, 7-10 would be better. Why? the animal could have been lost for quite some time, possibly from out of the area or even stolen.

4. Plan to thoroughly interview anyone who claims to be the owner. A picture printed off the computer is NOT proper identification. Ask for vet records, dog license, vaccine paperwork.

5. If you are not able to follow all these steps please take the dog to animal control so it can be properly listed, posted, etc.

Make sure to confirm that you are handing a pet over to the correct owner. If you have ANY questions about the person trying to claim a pet, please contact animal control. Be aware that pets do sometimes go missing from out of the area. A time frame of 5 to 7 days is not considered unreasonable as you are making attempts to locate a pet's family.

Not only is is fair to an owner for you to try and reunite the animal, it's the law. These situations below are illustrating found pets, which were then given away as free. Without filing a found report or having the animal scanned for a possible microchip, the chances of recovery fade each time that animal might now be rehomed or placed again.

The screenshot on the left shows someone is trying to explain what needs to be done as far as filing a found report, scanning, etc. Screenshot on the right indicates someone is taking the dog. No where do we see it was reported to animal control, scanned for a microchip or fliers made and posted to try and locate the owner.

Here is an example of another dog which was assumed to have been dumped and is now being given away.

If you cannot do these things take the animal to the shelter please where it can be publicly posted, scanned, etc. Giving a found pet away is NOT the answer.

NOTE: Laws and requirements differ between counties and states. An example of that is this note from Dorchester County Dog Control (MD) clarifying legal info for their specific area. See the post on their Facebook page here.