Alfie was found abandoned in 2009

Maybe you have seen him for days, wandering the streets and looking lost and hungry. Or maybe she just showed up in your back garden.   If you’ve found a stray dog, what do you do?

GET THE ANIMAL OUT OF DANGER – Get the animal out of danger, do not let it continue to roam the streets or drag itself off into the woods to die.   Put it in a safe dry shed/garage where it will be safe from the elements and injury from cars, humans and other animals.  Ensure that is has clean water and some food.

PROTECT YOURSELF AND YOUR ANIMALS – Protect yourself and your animals by keeping the stray dog separate from your pets and other family members until you can assess its personality and health.  The animal may be hurt, undernourished, traumatized or sick. Wash your hands after handling the animal to avoid carrying any diseases to your own pets. Watch out for fleas, ear mites, and other parasites that could be transmitted to your pets of your family. 

TAKE A PHOTOGRAPH OF IT’S CONDITION  – Take a photograph of its condition before attempting to clean it up and make a note of the time, date and area where you found the animal. 

CHECK FOR IDENTIFICATION – Check for identification, a Tatoo in the ear or behind a leg,  a telephone number on a collar.

IF THERE IS A COLLAR & PHONE NUMBER – Assess the condition of the animal before contacting the owner, if it is undernourished, sick, or hurt in any way CONTACT A VET FIRST.

TAKE IT TO THE VET -  Telephone your vet and explain that you are bringing in an abandoned dog for identification. Your vet has the facilities to identify Tatoo numbers and check for a Microchip. He is also one of the first places people go to when there animals are lost, so may well have details of an anxious owner.  If the vet can trace the owner and is not too busy, they will contact them.  You may be able to return the dog yourself or maybe the vet will hold the animal for the owner to pass by.

IF THE ANIMAL CAN’T BE IDENTIFIED – If the animal has no identification and has not been reported lost, contact your local animal shelter, the SPA and local gendarmes, but DO NOT take it to the SPA straight away, leave them a description of the dog and your contact details.

PUT THE WORD OUT – Speak to your local Maire, Baker, Postman/woman, French and English neighbours.  Contact your local animal shelter and animal charities.  Put up posters in the neighbourhood and in your local supermarkets, library, Tabac and Cafe/Restaurant.  Advertise in the local newpapers – sometimes they allow a free advertisement for a found animal.  Use the Internet sites.  Network through friends.

IF ALL ELSE FAILS – if all else fails you will have to fall back on your local SPA, BUT PLEASE TRY THE ABOVE SUGGESTIONS FIRST.  The French law requires that all unidentified animals must be taken to the SPA where they are kept for a couple of weeks to give the owner a chance to reclaim them and are then either put up for adoption or EUTHANISED.

YOU CANNOT FIND THE OWNER AND WOULD LIKE TO KEEP OR RE-HOME THE ANIMAL – The current legal period for taking possession of something you have found, including an animal is “a year and a day”, but in current practice, as long as the SPA has been informed,you can get the animal identified in your name after 10 days to 2 weeks.  If the owner does turn up after that you will have to sort it out with him.   Technically you will be in the wrong, but so is he for not having identified the dog in the first place and will therefore not be able to prove he is the legal owner.

DON’T LET YOUR DOG BECOME A STRAY – Microchip and make sure you have a name tag with your address and phone number.   Save yourself the heart-ache and act now.

See the Hope Shop.