What to do if you find a lost dog

• Check the collar for an identification tag and the collar inside and outside for a phone numbers or writing.
• Have a close look at the dog making note of breed or type, coat colour and type, sex, approximate age, and any unusual markings e.g. long or short tail. Check for any signs of injury or illness as a dog that is found on the road could have easily been in an accident.
• Ask any passers by and local residents if they recognise the dog as he could well and often does belong to a house nearby.
• Bring him into your local veterinary clinic and ask them to scan him for a microchip. This will be done free of charge. If he is chipped they will ring the database to get the owners contact details and make contact with the owners for you. If he is not chipped, leave all the details with them so they can contact you should the owner contact them. The staff may even recognise the dog particularly if it has obviously had treatment recently e.g. shaved leg. Notify all other vets in the area the dog was found.
• Notify all local Garda stations leaving a full description of the dog together with your contact details. Repeat this in a few days in case the information was not passed on between shifts.
• Notify your local dog warden even if you don’t want them to take the dog to the pound. Many people are reluctant to notify them in case they take the dog and it gets subsequently euthanised, however it is the most obvious and often only place an owner of a lost dog will report the missing dog to, so it is essential to call them. Call all relevant pounds and repeat call in a few days.
• Call any rescue centres and SPCA centres in your area or anyone who would normally foster or take in strays as they often keep a list of lost and found dogs.
• Phone all ‘Doggy’ places e.g. groomers, boarding kennels, relevant breed club, dog trainers. Anybody who is interested in the welfare of dogs and who talks to other ‘doggy’ people will help get the word out. Ask them can recommend anyone else to ring.
• Take a photo of the dog. Make up posters with the photo and a brief description of the dog making sure to leave out some details or any distinguishing feature so you can make sure any callers are genuine and the dog goes to the correct owners. Put up the poster where you found the dog, in local shops, library, churches, petrol stations, train and bus stations, community notice boards and the vets, Gardai, pounds, rescue centres mentioned above.
• Go door to door in the area and hand out flyers, ask anyone walking a dog, ask the postman and walk the dog in the area you found him in as someone out looking for him might recognise him. Ask children in particular.
• Place an advert in the local paper or free ads paper. Get the local radio to mention it on air, more than once if possible.
• Check all websites with lost and found sections. Place your own ‘found’ listing together with a photo.
• Don’t give up after a few days as it’s often a few days before people start looking for their dog. Be persistent!