1. Keep the dog safe and
secure
*Keep the
dog inside, or in an enclosed area so you don't lose him.
*Care
for this dog as you would your own, providing food, water, shelter and
kindness.
*Keep the dog separate from your own pets unless you
are confident that it harbors no contagious conditions, such as parasites
or mange. If you suspect the dog is unwell, bring him to a vet
immediately. Hopefully the owners will reimburse you if they are
found, but don't expect it. Local rescues may contribute to the cost
if their funds permit.
*If you do allow the visitor to meet your
own pets, introduce them slowly and carefully to avoid any
jealousy.
2.
Advertise:
*Place a 'found dog'
ad in the local newspapers. These ads are usually free.
Provide a basic description of the dog, then ask callers to give you
more specific identifying characteristics to prove their ownership.
There are unscrupulous people who will claim a 'free' dog is theirs, and
then turn around and sell it as a laboratory animal, or as 'bait' for
fighting dogs. There are also online 'lost and found' sites for
posting advertisements nationally, such as Lost and
Found.com.
*Post large, easily
visible flyers in your neighborhood and along major streets in your
town. Again, provide only a general description so that callers can
give you enough specifics to prove that this is in fact their
dog.
*Bring the dog to any veterinarian that can scan for a microchip.
More and more dog owners are using microchip identification, since stray
dogs may lose their collars, but they can't lose an implanted
microchip.
After advertising in the newspaper
for 5 days with no success, you can legally assume this dog is a
stray. The following are your options for finding this dog a new
home:
1. Adopt the
dog yourself:
*Finding good homes for stray dogs is a difficult
task. You can take our word for that! There are simply far
more wonderful stray dogs out there than there are loving homes. If
this pup has charmed you to pieces, keep him or her! It is essential
to have the dog spayed or neutered to lessen the chance of roaming and
reduce pet overpopulation. It is also essential that you keep the
dog inside or in a securely enclosed yard when you aren't actively
supervising it.
2. Find the
dog a suitable home:
*Be picky! No matter how badly someone may want to
adopt this dog, if they aren't prepared to care for it properly for it's
whole life, this dog will wind up homeless again - and probably won't be
lucky enough to find a kind rescuer next time.
*If this dog is
totally untrained, teach it the basics like 'sit' and 'down' and
housebreaking. Good manners will make the dog infinitely more
adoptable. We will soon have training advice available at this
website to help you. If you live in the Athens area and can spend
the time and money for training classes, we heartily recommend Pacesetter
Training: kass@pacesettertrainingkennel.com
*Advertise
the dog in "Critter Magazine" or the local paper.
Critter is a free booklet available at vet clinics and pet stores
and its purpose is to find homes for needy pets. Your ad must ask
for a minimal adoption fee to eliminate callers who are only looking for a
'free' dog to sell as a laboratory animal or as 'bait' for fighting
dogs. We recommend at least a $40 fee.
*Contact a local
rescue organization. You will find them listed in Critter
Magazine. Be forewarned that because pet overpopulation is at
crisis proportions, rescue organizations will likely be full. While
we cannot take them in as an Athens Canine Rescue dog, you can advertise
them on our referral page.
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