It was August 23, 2023, at around 11:30 am.
It was hot. Like 110 degrees hot.
I was running errands and had just stopped at Petsmart to pick up a few things, including some new bones for Freddie to try.
On my way to my next stop, I passed a white and brown blur. It looked like something was jumping up and down, trying to gain attention. Unfortunately, dogs wandering the streets and fields are a common occurrence where we live. So I figured this was a lost dog who needed some help finding his way home.
I pulled into the parking lot where this dog was, and the pup immediately went under the front end of my car. Thankfully, I remembered the bones I had just purchased, so I hopped out and grabbed one. I placed the bone in front of my car and stepped into a patch of grass next to my parking space in the corner of the parking lot. The dog barked at me for a few minutes, but I sat in the grass, trying to avoid making eye contact with him. He looked scared and hot.
He got a whiff of the bone and started coming out from under my car. I could tell he was on the younger side and had a collar on. Whew! Now, I can just check his tags or swing by a vet and have his microchip scanned, reunite him with his anguished family, and continue along with my errands! Right?!
The dog’s actions shifted over the next few minutes. The barky, scared pup became more curious about me. He didn’t care too much about the bone. He slowly made his way over toward me toward the grass. While he lay panting, I noticed he was skinny, and his nails on his front and back feet were worn down like he’d been filing them on concrete for a while.
We continued to sit a few feet apart for another few minutes until he came over to say hello. It was then that I saw that his collar had no identifying information. I thought that maybe he had jumped a fence from the neighborhood across the street, so I kept an eye out for someone coming towards us or calling for a dog. But with it being so hot, I decided to try to take him to the closest vet to see if he had a microchip.
Thankfully, by this point, he had calmed down quite a bit. He let me touch him and even let me pick him up to put him in my cool car. While in the car, he was as sweet as could be. No barking, jumping around, whining, or anything. During our short drive to a veterinary clinic, he panted and watched out the front window. An employee gave me a slip lead to bring him inside the lobby. They ran the chip finder over him, and we got a beep! Let’s get you back to your family, little guy!!
Well, the chip was registered with another local veterinary clinic. And, of course, the clinic was closed until the following day. While the friendly vet tech was writing down the chip number and fetching a bowl of water, I noticed the pup leaning into my leg pretty hard. Someone wanted some love and attention! I realized I hadn’t yet petted the dog, as I was so fixated on reuniting him. He was a sweetheart!
With my errands trip derailed, I took the pup back to my car and made phone calls. I first called my husband, Sid, to tell him what was happening. He suggested calling a friend of ours who runs a local animal rescue. I met him through my animal welfare-supporting eyewear business and figured he’d have some suggestions on what I could do. Remember when I mentioned that there are lots of stray and lost dogs out and about in my area? Well, this meant that the was full. And, not just my friend’s rescue, all of the rescues. And the county shelter was overflowing with dogs. So much so that they were holding multiple free adoption events just trying to move dogs out so they could bring more dogs in. It’s a vicious, horrifically depressing cycle.
While on the phone, I noticed the precious pup had fallen asleep. The poor, tired boy!
My friend said he would ask around and see if he could offer any other ideas for what I could do until tomorrow. With Freddie at home, plus four adult cats and a five-month-old kitten, I didn’t feel great about bringing this pup to our house. After only a few minutes, my friend called back with the expected news that the only option he could provide was to take him to the county shelter. Knowing this could be a death sentence due to their euthanasia rates, I called Sid again and told him I’d be bringing a dog home.
We did the wrong thing. We brought Freddie to the backyard to see the pup, and our little boy, who can’t walk, freaked out. I still think this initial meeting derailed their relationship. More on that later.
After that, we decided that Pup, as we called him, needed to be quarantined from the rest of the family. I still feel like an idiot for introducing him to Fred so soon. Not just behaviorally, but we knew nothing about this dog?! Did he have a contagious disease? Worms? Even fleas? I think that besides looking thin and thirsty, he looked ok. So, I do recommend NOT introducing your stray dog to your other pets.
I still assumed that he wouldn’t be with us long. We found an unopened bag of Dr. Marty’s dog food in our pantry and set up a makeshift space for him in a smaller bedroom. Sid and I took turns hanging out with him through the evening and slept in that room that night to keep an eye on him. He seemed potty trained (he was–he’s never had an accident in our house) and was pretty calm for a pup. Also, that evening, I started ticking off the list of to-dos, like posting on social media, which you’ll find below.
The following day, I drove Pup down to the vet he was registered to after calling to make sure they were open. I was already starting to like this guy, so a tiny part of me hoped he would somehow join our family. When we arrived, I got Pup out of the car and took him to the front of the clinic. The employee I had already spoken with came out with their microchip scanner and again found the chip. But she got a different number. When she ran that chip number, she discovered that Pup wasn’t registered to anyone. Now, we were at a dead end.
None of my social media posts received responses, and it was starting to look like Pup might be with us for a bit longer.
On the way home, we stopped at Petsmart. Thankfully, one of the managers had just adopted a puppy about Pup’s size, so she helped me find a crate, crate pad, food, bowls, and some toys.
We got home and set up Pup’s space in the same room he stayed in the previous night. Sid and I continued to take turns keeping him company and getting to know him while also comforting Freddie with treats everytime his eyes or nose reminded him of our furry home intruder.
This continued for several days and nights as we waited for a phone call or a comment on one of our social media posts. We even did an introduction to a friend of ours to see if she’s like to adopt Pup in the case that we don’t find his family.
Pup also visited our vet to check his health. She found a tick in his neck, worms, and he was about four or five months old. His inner ears were filthy, and he weighed 22 pounds. The photo above, taken the day after I found him, shows how his ribs were pronounced.
Pup was on his way to better health and was quickly making his way into our hearts. After several weeks of trying to locate his family, we officially made him a member of our family. We named him Abhishek after one of our favorite Bollywood actors, and he goes by Abhi. Think Ub-he when pronouncing his name.
A year and almost a half later, we’re so thankful for him. Has adding an unexpected dog to our family been easy? Absolutely not! He’s had three trainers, several vet bills, including an emergency room visit (he’s allergic to bees…that’s another story), and he’s still not Freddie’s favorite being. But they hang out next to each other on the couch and take two walks/strolls together a day. Freddie’s acceptance of his dog keeps improving, so I have faith that I’ll see these two cuddling one day.
So, with all of that being said, let’s get to that list I mentioned. You found a dog–now what?
Not all of these steps may need to be taken. For example, if there’s no collar, that can obviously be skipped. I also think the phrase “if possible” should be added to many of these bullets.
- Secure the dog
- I now always have a leash in my car. If the dog doesn’t have a collar, you can feed the leash end through the handle to create a slip lead. This can also be used as a makeshift lasso to avoid getting too close to the dog’s face.
- Take care to observe the dog’s actions. A fearful dog may bite.
- Check the collar for any identifying information
- Sometimes, people write phone numbers on the inside of a collar, so check there, too.
- Survey the area for signs of escape
- Do you see an open gate, someone who looks like they’re missing something, or a nearby home or business you can check in with?
- Scan for a microchip
- Take the dog to a veterinary clinic, local shelter, or rescue for scanning. They’ll use a device to read the chip and should provide you with the chip number and manufacturer and possibly the contact information for who the animal is chipped to.
- In the best-case scenario, you get to call the dog’s family because the number was listed on the collar tags or the chip information. Reunite and you’ll be on your way!
- Report the dog as found through your county shelter
- Call the shelter or check their website to see if they have an online found form.
- Post on social media
- Sites like Pawboost, Nextdoor, Facebook, and Instagram are great places to post a photo, found location, and any other identifying information.
- Make sure that the post is easily shareable.
- Post signs in the found area
- And, return to the found area to look for postings of a lost dog.
- Keep the dog safe
- If you can, keep the dog with you.
- If not, see if your shelter has space for the dog. Or if a friend can hold the dog until its owner contacts you.
Hopefully, you will connect with the dog’s guardian and quickly reunite everyone. However, that’s not always possible, and you may unexpectedly gain a new family member!
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