Thank you for helping this lost dog go home. You are a good neighbor!
These tips are for someone who has found a dog and refers to the PetFBI flyer. If you did not complete their form, go to PetFBI.org to get your free flyer.
· Make sure the dog goes home with the right family. Sometimes, especially with valuable purebred dogs, a thief will claim the dog you found. Always require proof of ownership. Ask for family photos with the dog. Ask for the name and phone number of their vet. CALL that vet and verify that that person has a dog matching that description. Vet records or bills of sale have been forged, so if that is all they have, take a good look at that proof. BEFORE YOU RELEASE A DOG, ASK TO SEE A DRIVERS LICENSE AND TAKE A PHOTO. You don’t want the correct owner to show up after someone else has claimed that person’s dog! This does not happen often, but it does happen.
You can always ask the owner to meet at the dog’s vet for you to hand over the dog at the vet’s. If someone doesn’t have a vet, they probably don’t own the dog. Never meet anyone alone. Always meet in a public place. Don’t give out your home address. BE SAFE!
· Start by downloading the UPDATED copy of your flyer from the link sent to you in our email. We often update your flyer by cleaning up the photo or correcting information at your request. You should check the link emailed from HelpingLostPets to make sure you have the latest version of your flyer.
· Get the dog scanned for a microchip. Most dogs are microchipped these days. Chips are often missed in a scan. If no chip is detected, go to another facility and scan again. If there is a microchip, ask for the microchip number and take it with you. Many times microchips have out of date information and the owner cannot be contacted. We can help with that. See MicrochipHelp.com
· Post on NextDoor.comand ask friends who live in surrounding neighborhoods to post about the found dog, in case the dog has traveled out of his neighborhood.
· File a found report with the local municipal shelter.
· Print out & post flyers in the area where the dog was found. DO NOT put anything inside a mailbox or attached to a cluster mail box, because that is illegal, and you could be charged First Class postage for every flyer; postage due. Instead, use the newspaper receptacle.
· Put ads on Craigslist in the Lost & Found section and the Pets section.
If you are going to rehome the dog, please check with your local shelter to find out what the law is in your area. It is considered theft if you keep or rehome a pet unless you meet the requirements of the town where you found the pet.