What to do when you find a lost dog

April 2, 2017 - Minnie, a 4-5 month old puppy that was staying in a foster home through the SPCA of Wake County is currently missing. She got loose Saturday afternoon/evening April 1st from Walking Stick Trail in Raleigh, near Durant Nature Park in zip code 27615. Please call the SPCA at 919-772-2326 if you spot her or persuade her to come to you. We will update this post when she is found. Some neighbors say they saw a gray car in the area coaxing a black puppy into the car. We hope that if it was Minnie, that they will take the proper steps to be able to return her to us.  The foster mom has posted flyers in the area and contacted local veterinarian offices nearby.  The SPCA has also alerted the Wake County Animal Control Center to let them know she is missing.

There's nothing like the panic you feel when your pet gets loose or is missing. There are many things you can do if you find a lost pet to help reunite the pets with his/her family.

1. Look for flyers in the area where you found the pet as soon as you can.  Also, check back the next few days as the family may be out searching for the pet first and not have flyers ready immediately.
2. Check TriangleLostPets.org for listings of lost pets.  You can also post that you have found a pet and list your contact information and a photo of the pet.
3. Take the pet to a nearby vet's office to have them scan for a microchip.
4. Take the animal to your local county shelter.  In Wake County, the Wake County Animal Control Center is the designated place for all stray animals to go.  This helps to quickly reunite lost pets with their families.  Nearly all government-run shelters have a "stray hold" policy where they will keep stray animals on hold for 3-5 days to give owners a chance to find them.
5. Confirming the owner: Don't give away all of the information about the pet.  You'll want to have some way to confirm that the pet belongs to the person who contacts you.  If the pet is wearing a collar when found, don't list what the collar looks like in your online listing of a found pet.  Use that information to ask a person claiming to the be the animal's owner to verify ownership.  Ask them to also show you a photo of their pet to help confirm ownership.

For pet owners, it always helps to have your pet microchipped and have your contact information up-to-date.  Make sure to have a photo of your pet easily on hand.  We hope you never need to use them, but they will be crucial should your pet ever be lost.