Finding a lost pet

How do you respond when you see an animal wandering the streets or in the street or even at your door?!

Yes, this happened to us one night! I opened the door and there was a puppy wiggling with delight as if to say, "I'm free, it's so nice to meet you. Wanna come out and play?!!"

We brought him in the house and the first thing we noticed was his collar. His wonderful family had included their address which made it extremely quick and easy for us to take him up the street to his house! We now highly recommend engraving your address on your pet's ID tag, collar or harness.

Ask my husband and he will agree, if you are on your way somewhere and I see a wandering animal, look out if you are in a hurry!
If I have anything to say about it...let me rephrase that, if you listen to what I say about it, we won't be arriving at our destination as expected.
I want to stop and find out where they live, if anyone is nearby who may possibly be with them, if they are hungry, hurt or scared.
If they need a place to be temporarily, well, of course we take them to our house!
Where else is the sweetheart gonna stay tonight?

So what are the signs of a lost pet?
If you feel as I do that you are the appointed caregiver, even if temporarily, of a lost animal, You may not need a huge sign to run and help.
Some signs to look for may be a new animal has shown up in your neighborhood and is:

1. Dirty or miskept
2. Injured. Is the animal limping, crying, laying down in an unusual position?
3. Tipping over neighborhood garbage cans (hungry?)
4. Ragged collar or no collar at all
5. Unsure as to which way to go -- we found one pacing our streets, not sure which way to choose (until he was presented with a bite of chicken)!
6. What posture do they present when approached? Growling, tail between the legs, head down?
Did they run through several yards or in different directions to get away from you? This may indicate that they are in unfamiliar territory.

Ways that we can help:
1. Keep you eyes open for posters or flyers alerting others that a pet is missing. Jot down the info just in case you happen to see their pet.
2. Keep your ears open for whimpers, labored breathing, howls, panicked barking, meowing, chirping (whichever sound the specific breed may make).
If you hear a sound that concerns you, there may be a reason. Be safe, yet if at all able, check it out or contact animal control.
3. If you cannot take the animal in, even temporarily, maybe you know someone that will.
4. Call or go to your local shelter to report the animal as found or to inquire as to whether they have a missing animal report with a matching description (or even a similar description).

How to find a lost pet

Even at an accident scene, if you talk to 3 different people, most likely there will be 3 different views as to what happened.
If the animal you have found resembles one that is missing, it will only take a phone call from the shelter to reunite them with their family. What a wonderful feeling!
5. Keep your heart open to help as you are able.
6. Listen to your gut. Sometimes it has the best answer to the nagging question of "What do I do?"
7. Please do not allow yourself to judge the family. A pet can get away for many reasons and in multiple ways.
It can happen to the best of us. If the animal you find has no ID or collar, there may be a logical explanation or maybe it was lost on their path to you.

Remember, not all animals will fit a typical scenario (such as our story at the beginning of this excerpt).
Puppies may not show signs of distress unless they are sick or injured. They are the happy-go-be-free type B personality.
They may not be afraid or recognize the danger out there. They may have just entered the world that is an awesome place to explore.

It is up to us to guide, direct, and lead them home.