Don’t Chase That Dog!
Every single day, people with good intentions try to help a lost or stray dog by chasing him. They almost never catch the dog this way, and it resluts in many dogs being hit by cars and killed. Usually, people chase a stray dog because they don’t know what else to do. Here are the best options when trying to help a stray dog.
1. Take a picture.
2. Ask people nearby if they know who the dog belongs to, in case the dog is very close to home.
3. Do nothing. If you can’t do any of the other options listed here, doing nothing at all is better than chasing the dog. Stay in your car if possible. Watch the dog and see if he will settle in a safe place, or go home. Use your car as a shield, with your hazard lights flashing, to protect him from being hit if he wanders in the road.
4. Ask others not to chase the dog. Give them the link to this page, so that everyone is working together, and no one is chasing.
5. Use calming signals.
6. Contact Animal Control and let them know there is a dog that may need help.
7. Contact a nonprofit rescue, such as Useless Bay Sanctuary, which is dedicated to helping stray dogs.
8. See if someone can bring a humane trap.
9. Post on local Facebook groups and other social media about the dog, to see if someone is looking for him.
10. Form a team with other people who have come to try to help the dog. Share phone numbers and text each other so you can keep track of where the dog goes, from a comfortable distance, and keep other people from chasing him.
11. Lure the dog to a safe place with Vienna sausage, which is available at most gas stations.
12. If you get the dog to come to you, walk him around the area and see if he will lead you to his home, or if anyone recognizes him.
13. If he has no tags, take him to a nearby vet to be scanned for a microchip.
Whatever you do, if you can’t do the things listed here, never chase a lost or stray dog. It almost always makes matters worse, and often ends up with the dog being killed in a traffic accident.
Please read the articles below for ideas about how to help a dog instead of chasing him.
How Good Intentions Can Kill A Dog.
What to do if you see a stray dog.
If you catch a stray dog.
1. Take a picture.
2. Ask people nearby if they know who the dog belongs to, in case the dog is very close to home.
3. Do nothing. If you can’t do any of the other options listed here, doing nothing at all is better than chasing the dog. Stay in your car if possible. Watch the dog and see if he will settle in a safe place, or go home. Use your car as a shield, with your hazard lights flashing, to protect him from being hit if he wanders in the road.
4. Ask others not to chase the dog. Give them the link to this page, so that everyone is working together, and no one is chasing.
5. Use calming signals.
6. Contact Animal Control and let them know there is a dog that may need help.
7. Contact a nonprofit rescue, such as Useless Bay Sanctuary, which is dedicated to helping stray dogs.
8. See if someone can bring a humane trap.
9. Post on local Facebook groups and other social media about the dog, to see if someone is looking for him.
10. Form a team with other people who have come to try to help the dog. Share phone numbers and text each other so you can keep track of where the dog goes, from a comfortable distance, and keep other people from chasing him.
11. Lure the dog to a safe place with Vienna sausage, which is available at most gas stations.
12. If you get the dog to come to you, walk him around the area and see if he will lead you to his home, or if anyone recognizes him.
13. If he has no tags, take him to a nearby vet to be scanned for a microchip.
Whatever you do, if you can’t do the things listed here, never chase a lost or stray dog. It almost always makes matters worse, and often ends up with the dog being killed in a traffic accident.
Please read the articles below for ideas about how to help a dog instead of chasing him.
How Good Intentions Can Kill A Dog.
What to do if you see a stray dog.
If you catch a stray dog.