I recently read a great post on what you should do when you find a stray dog that I thought was great: http://www.badrap.org/so-you-found-stray. The post is very thorough and well worth a read.

The key when finding a stray of course is of course to make sure you are careful when approaching the dog to not spook the dog into running and being careful for your safety. The post makes the point (which I agree with) that you cannot tell anything from the looks of the dog whether the dog is homeless or just lost. Dogs can be emaciated, covered in dirt, or scarred and may have just run away from home and been braving the elements. Alternatively, an owner could just let their dog roam the streets because they did not want him or her anymore and the dog could look to be in perfect condition. The first thing you do once taking the dog in is to bring it to look for tags and if there are no tags take the dog to a veterinarian or shelter to see if the dog has been microchipped.

If you cannot find any information, you want to put postings online, in the neighborhood and everywhere else. Another idea that makes a lot of sense that the article points out is to go ask around the neighborhood where you found the dog and knock on a few doors to see if anyone recognized the dog.

Along the way, though, while you have the dog you have to make sure that he or she is safe in your house and that your other pets are safe. It probably makes sense to crate the dog so as to protect the safety of the stray and your other pets.

If you do not locate the owner, the situation gets much more complicated. Ideally, you should take the dog to the vet and make sure they are healthy and if not spayed or neutered that should be taken care of. I realize this is costly, but you are helping the dog and making it easier to find a home for the dog long-term. From there, you should be asking around to find a home for the dog or requesting that a local rescue group post the dog on petfinder. Finding a home can take a day or months, but you are saving a dog’s life so be patient.

If you are able financially to take care of the dog and the dog gets along with your household the best option is to foster the dog as long as you can. I have heard people say they aren’t home enough so it is not fair to the dog. Trust me, it is better the dog is at home a lot of hours a day alone than in a shelter. The next best step is to ask a local rescue to help locate a foster and they will help find the dog a home. The last step would be taking the dog to a local shelter, and do your best to find a shelter that will keep the dog alive as long as possible. The shelter option is full of risk and the dog may end up being euthanized so try to do anything possible to not let that happen but you may not have been unsuccessful in all of your other attempts. If you do drop of the dog at the shelter, please keep trying to locate them a home and posting him or her online.

In summary, finding a stray can be very time consuming and overwhelming, but remember you are saving a life!