Stray Animals!!

In this struggling economy, the chances of you running across a hungry stray are increasing. Desperate dog & cat owners who don't want their pets to end up in a shelter sometimes think the next best thing is to turn them loose. This is not a good idea, abandoned dogs can not fend for themselves and if they don't encounter a kind soul often die in tragic and horrible ways. Hungry and starving strays can become a nuisance in a neighborhood and sometimes a danger to other animals. Cats do better at fending for themselves but it is still a hard and meager existence fraught with danger and disease.
What should you do if you find a stray? or it wanders up to your property?

1. Call you local animal control - this is not your animal to give away/find a home for regardless of it's appearance when it arrives. Strays have a mandatory stray hold period at the local shelter. How would you feel if your pet were lost or stolen and the person who found it kept it or gave it away before you ever had the chance to find it?

2. If you want to help this pet, by all means do so. Making sure you adhere to your local animal control guidelines and make a good faith effort to locate it's family. It is important to follow a few simple rules to keep everyone safe.  Make sure you do not approach a growling dog - this animal is scared, please call animal control for assistance.  Many strays are scared and you must be very careful in how to approach them. Do not use direct eye contact or very erect posture. Use food lures if possible.

3. Do not allow this dog to mix with your pets! You do not know how this animal has treated or if it has issues with other animals. You do not know this dog's vaccination history to know if this dog is healthy. You are putting your pets at risk the moment you mix your dogs together. Be respectful of your own pets first. If you can not keep this animal separate - refer to #1. Do not put your dogs at risk for rabies exposure or other diseases such as parvo, distemper, ringworm, scabies and parasites, or fleas and ear mites.

4. Do not allow your children around this dog/cat until you know how this dog/cat is going to respond. You do not know this animal's life experiences and whether or not it will have a favorable reaction to children. You also don't know the pet's vaccination history so do not put your children at risk. Domestic pets typically die within 10 days of being bitten by a rabid animal. Parasites can be passed to children, it is rare but can happen. They can get sarcoptic mange (scabies) or ringworm.

5. Even after a quarantine period and a visit to your local veterinarian, be careful when introducing this animal to other pets. Do not feed them together. Dogs that have been starving or hungry may be aggressive to other pets around feeding time. Always feed separately until you know the dog's temperament. Cats generally do not get along and trying to introduce a stray cat to your cat will likely end in fighting. Cats take months to adjust to each other.

6. If you can not keep this dog, use Google to find rescue groups in your area that will take in this dog. Remember, most rescue groups do not take in stray dogs, they take in dogs from shelters and occasionally owner surrenders. If this dog was a stray but has been in your care for the "stray hold" and you are now the owner, you may be able to get it into a rescue group.

Remember, if you find a stray, your local animal control can guide you on how to go about finding an owner, keeping it if no-one comes forward and take it in if you are not able to help it. Animal Control is not the enemy.....death from starvation, cruelty, the elements and being hit by cars and left to suffer on the side of the road are all worse things than going to your local shelter.