WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A STRAY

Please do not bring strays to Mostly Mutts. As a licensed rescue organization, we cannot legally accept stray animals from individuals. We can rescue only dogs and cats who have completed their hold times at animal control facilities. Strays should be brought to an animal control facility in the county where the animal was found.

If you have never lost a cherished pet you may conclude that the owner of a stray dog or cat callously abandoned it or, at the very least, neglected to keep it safely confined at home. But accidents can happen to anyone. The frantic owners could be looking everywhere for their beloved pet. If you choose to be a Good Samaritan, here’s some advice on how to help a dog or cat get back home.

SAFETY FIRST

A stray can behave unpredictably. If the animal looks or acts threateningly, or if you feel uneasy about the situation, stay in your car, or, if on foot, approach it with extreme caution.

Call the local animal control agency (in rural areas, call the police). Do so whether or not the animal is injured and whether or not it is wearing an identification tag. Leave your phone number with the dispatcher, and try to get an estimate of how long it may take someone to respond. If possible, stay on the scene to keep an eye on the dog or cat until help arrives.

In most cases it isn't a good idea to attempt to drive somewhere with an unrestrained, stray dog in your car; it may become frantic or aggressive. Cats may do the same, as well as lodge themselves under the car seat, and it can be dangerous trying to retrieve them.

WHERE TO BRING A STRAY

If there is no other choice, you may decide to take a stray to your home until an animal control officer can arrive. Before bringing the stray animal into your home, make sure you can keep your resident animals separate; the found animal could be sick, fearful or aggressive with other animals or other people in your household.

SPREAD THE WORD

Submit a found animal post with a photo, if possible, on all available resource sites listed on the My Pet Is Lost section of our website >>

ANIMAL CONTROL HELPS REUNITE PETS WITH THEIR OWNERS

Despite popular belief, animal control facilities work to save lives and get strays back home.

Strays are held there safely for a specific time period before they can be adopted or rescued by organizations such as Mostly Mutts. This gives a rightful owners the opportunity to be reunited with their lost pet. Although each county’s stray hold-time period varies, they recognize that people will look to animal control to find their beloved lost pets.

HELP WITHOUT PREJUDICE

There are many reasons why a dog or cat ends up as a stray and you cannot judge based on the animal’s condition. We've seen and heard many different scenarios, ranging from angry ex-spouses and roommates dumping dogs and cats as revenge, to people with good intentions who pick up a stray and then let it go miles away from where it was found, making it unlikely to find it’s way home.

Please follow the law and don't pass judgment. You will probably never know the REAL story of how the animal became a stray, but you can help prevent the terrible fate of a pet having to live out its life as a homeless victim.