IF YOU FIND A STRAY DOG

If the dog is injured, thin, foaming at the mouth, aggressive, be cautious. Do not approach; rather, coax toward you, offer water and food then back away. See if there is a collar and tags. If so, and the dog is receptive to a gentle voice and a hand outstretched below the height of their head, then try to read the tag. If you can, coax them into your garage and close the door. Attempt to contact the owner and offer food/shelter/warmth for them for as many days/weeks as possible until the owner can be located. Post FOUND notices and contact local pet stores, veterinary clinics, and consider placing an ad in the paper as well as search the newspaper for lost pets. Do not surrender the pet to the authorities as the police will simply pass the animal to a local shelter which often has a 48 hour rule that will place them on the list for extermination due to immense overcrowding. Do all you can to find the owner yourself. If someone contacts you in response to your FOUND notice, ask them to clearly identify the pet in detail prior to permitting them to see the animal as there are surprisingly many unscrupulous people who will respond to FOUND PETS notices in the newspaper pretending to be the owner, steal and sell our pets to laboratories for torturous experimentation for the medical and cosmetics industries. Be careful and take responsibility for finding their rightful family. Remember, you are their guardian and they are depending on you!