How to Find a Dog's Owner
Special Thanks to Michiana Missing Dog Network for these tips!
Thanks for being a DOGGIE ANGEL!
First, be cautious about approaching a dog you don’t know. When in doubt, let the professionals handle the dog. Do not let the dog get around children and other pets. You do not know how this dog has been socialized or if it may have a medical condition. Keep in mind, the dog is in a strange situation and can be more nervous than usual. Never pet them on head. This is seen as a dominance move and you could be bitten more easily. Don’t talk to it in a high pitch voice. Soft and calm works better. Do not make fast movements around it. Do not rush the greeting process.
We are a listing service and we are not responsible for your interactions with any animal. It is your choice how you want to proceed with an animal you find.
Take pictures at the dog’s level from multiple angles. Taking a picture standing above them does not show the features of the dog very well. Also, try to have a solid background so the dog shows up in the picture better.
First, be cautious about approaching a dog you don’t know. When in doubt, let the professionals handle the dog. Do not let the dog get around children and other pets. You do not know how this dog has been socialized or if it may have a medical condition. Keep in mind, the dog is in a strange situation and can be more nervous than usual. Never pet them on head. This is seen as a dominance move and you could be bitten more easily. Don’t talk to it in a high pitch voice. Soft and calm works better. Do not make fast movements around it. Do not rush the greeting process.
We are a listing service and we are not responsible for your interactions with any animal. It is your choice how you want to proceed with an animal you find.
Take pictures at the dog’s level from multiple angles. Taking a picture standing above them does not show the features of the dog very well. Also, try to have a solid background so the dog shows up in the picture better.
- Leave out some clean water and some regular dog food. A dog on the loose is usually very thirsty and most likely hungry. (Please do not feed them pork/bacon or dog treats made in China, as some of these can make them sick.) Do not leave in an area like a garage if there are chemicals they can lick. Anti-freeze is sweet and they may lickit off the garage floor and get sick. Keep it in a safe area away from kids and your other pets. You do not know if they may become aggressive or have a disease they could pass onto your other pets.
- If the dog appears to be injured, it will need the attention of a professional. An injured dog will react by nipping or biting as a protective reflex, not out of meanness. In this case, it is best to have the shelter retrieve and care for the dog. Have a professional check the dog for injuries. A dog that has been on the run may have damaged paws, scrapes or bruises. If the paws are dry and cracked, coconut oil moisturizes the paws. If they lick it, it will not harm them. (Mineral oil is not good for them to lick and it blocks the pores of the paws.) If the paws have been injured, approach with caution and get professional assistance. Also, any product like a topical antibiotic or diaper crème can have ZINC—which is poisonous to dogs. If the dog appears to be abused, we don’t want it returned to the owners. A shelter should evaluate if the dog has been abused or perhaps hit by a car. A shelter can advise on a course of action and report to police.
- If you have decided to handle the dog and you decide not to take it to a shelter, it can be scanned for a chip by a vet. This is free and most vets are willing to do this. Before you go to the vet though, make sure they are one of the Vets that have a UNIVERSAL SCANNER. Some of the less expensive scanners only find chips for one or two companies. If it is on a weekend or at night, the Animal Emergency Clinic on Grape and McKinley in Mishawaka, Indiana is open evenings and weekends.
How to contact the major microchip manufacturers:
24PetWatch 1-866-597-2424 www.24petwatch.com
AKC 1-800-252-7894 www.akccar.com
AVID 1-800-336-2843 www.avidid.com
Banfield 1-877-567-8738 www.banfield.net
Bayer resQ 1-877-738-5465 www.petlink.net
HomeAgain 1-888-466-3242 www.homeagain.com
If it is an unregistered chip, there are still ways to find the owner.
Click Here --> Finding an UNREGISTERED CHIP - If there is no chip and no tag, we will post the dog on the Michiana Missing Dog Network Timeline, provided you plan to keep the dog for 48 hours. We need time for the post on Facebook to reach people. If you take the dog to a shelter, we will not run the dog because you are no longer able to directly return the dog to the owner. It is now the jurisdiction of the Shelter. Be sure to find out their policies. Different areas have different laws, so find out what those laws are in your particular area. Some Shelters will allow you to hold the dog while looking for the owners.
- You will also need to make some changes in Facebook to make it so people you don’t know can reach you.
Turn ON your TAGGING
Go into Privacy and make it so EVERYONE can send you a message. <--EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!!
There are TWO mailboxes on your Facebook account. One says “Message Requests” and this is where you receive messages from people you don’t know. You need to check this box on a computer since it does not show up in the phone app. Also, Facebook will not send you any notices saying you have a message. You will have to manually check there. - IMPORTANT: Require the person claiming the dog to show Vet Papers and Family Photos as proof. This will hopefully keep the wrong person from getting the dog. Some people try to sell the dogs and others use them for baiting in pit bull fighting. They were quoted as saying, “We send a nicely dressed woman to claim the dog.”
- You can often place a “FOUND DOG” ad for free in the local newspaper. Many seniors may not be on social media, but they do read the local newspaper.
- You can look on Craigslist to see if any one posted there they lost their dog. If you decide to post a Found Dog” post on Craigslist, use an email you don’t plan to keep since this is a place where spammers find emails. Don’t use your primary email. Be sure to indicate you will be requiring Vet papers and photos.
- Another method people have tried is to take the dog on a walk on a leash it may walk you back home or you may come across the owners out looking for the dog. Still ask for vet papers and family photos to confirm.
- Call your neighbors and see if they know who the dog belongs to. Also ask kids in the neighborhood. If there is a neighborhood watch or neighborhood association group, let them know so they can let others know. Post on www.NextDoor.com or get a neighbor to monitor the site for you and post.
- When you find the owners, please advise them to get a chip ($20 at the South Bend Animal Care and Control—even if you are not a South Bend resident) and a ten digit phone # tag at PetSmart for $20 or PetRefuge for $7.
- Be sure to file a "FOUND REPORT" with your local Shelter since the person will most likely look for their dog at a Shelter. Note: Some shelters do not require you to bring the dog in and will let you hold the dog while looking for an owner. Laws vary, so find out to stay in compliance. You may also want to let the local police, closest fire station and postal carrier know about the dog you found.
- Put a poster near your house so the person looking may see it and know who to contact. Again, do not release the dog without proof.
- In Indiana, dogs are considered property. You cannot just instantly sell a dog you find. In many areas, the waiting period to claim ownership is at least 2 weeks.
Thanks to everyone who Shares, Likes and helps our Fur Friends!
If you are in the Northern Indiana / Michiana Area, Contact: Michiana Missing Dog Network on Facebook for assistance on locating a lost dog or finding the owner for one you have found.