DO NOT CALL THE NAME OF A LOST/STRAY ANIMAL – They can sense the tension and anxiety in your voice and it makes them think they are in trouble.
DO NOT CHASE A LOST/STRAY ANIMAL ON FOOT, CAR, MOTORCYCLE, QUAD, SIDE-BY-SIDE, ETC.. – No matter how fast you think you are, a scared dog runs on adrenaline and they will run faster and farther away from you.
DO NOT FORCE THE SITUATION – Especially near highways and other high traffic roads. You do not want to the dog to get hit by a vehicle.
Immediately get down on the ground without saying anything to the dog and if the dog is friendly and approaches you without hesitation secure the dog if possible, do not approach the dog if it seems aggressive, fearful or timid.
Call local police, state police, dog warden or animal control with location and physical description of dog, to arrange for pickup of dog or take dog to animal shelter or approved facility in your county. A list of licensed facilities is available at www.agriculture.state.pa.us
Should you decide to hold the dog to locate owner, you assume all liability, both criminal and civil, in the event there is an incident with the dog.
You can NOT simply keep the dog, give it away or re-home the dog as you see fit without taking all measures to locate the dog’s owner. Dogs are personal property in PA and you may be subject to criminal charges of theft if an investigation occurs.
You MUST:
File a report with the animal shelter in the county where dog was found: File reports with at least 2 of the following: local and state police, the dog warden for the county and animal control officers.
- SPCA of Luzerne County – 570-825-4111
- Humane Society of Lackawanna County – Griffin Pond Animal Shelter – 570-586-3700
Take the pet to a shelter or Vet to be scanned for a microchip if there are no identification tags.
You must advertise the dog: Put up flyers, put an ad in the local newspaper, file reports with area Vets, post notices in pet supply stores, etc., in places the average person will be likely to see it.
If a possible owner contacts you, ask for proof of ownership such as a dog license, vet records, a photograph taken before the pet was lost, etc. If the person is unable to provide this, you can ask to see a driver’s license or other photo identification and write down and keep the information.
You SHOULD:
You should also call at least 2 shelters in neighboring counties and consider contacting rescues in the area.
- SPCA of Luzerne County – 570-825-4111
- Blue Chip Farm Animal Refuge – 570-333-5265
- Griffin Pond Animal Shelter – 570-586-3700
If possible, photograph the dog and post on social media. There are literally hundreds of Facebook pages dedicated to lost and found pets. Include a description of the dog, street found, town, county and state. Include your contact info, including e-mail and phone number. Include a list of the agencies you contacted and ask that the information be shared. While social media is a very valuable tool to reunite lost pets with their owners, it is one of many valuable tools. Please consider that not everyone has a computer or may locate the one specific page you posted to.
Final Thought:
If YOUR dog were lost, what would you hope or expect the finder of your dog to do to get them home to you???
* – Information provided by the Pennsylvania Dog Law Enforcement.