YOU FOUND A PUP, NOW WHAT?
Thank you for helping the sweet pup that you found! Here are the steps to take next:
Take the dog to any local vet or Memphis Fire Station to scan for a microchip. If it is after regular business hours, you can take the dog to Animal Emergency Center at 3767 Summer Avenue. This service is free.
Contact local veterinarians, animal shelters, humane societies, and emergency clinics to see if anyone has reported a lost dog.
Make a “Found Dog Flyer.” Keep it simple: include a photo, the word “FOUND,” and a phone number with area code. Post the flyer near where you found the dog, in surrounding areas, and at local businesses that allow flyers, particularly vet offices. Dogs can travel many miles in one day.
Post a photo on Craigslist in the “Lost and Found” and “Pets” sections, as well as PawBoost, Nextdoor, Facebook, and other local community pages. Be sure your posts on social media are public and not limited to friends.
Post a photo on Facebook and tag Lost and Found Pets of the Mid-South. Be sure to include the area where the dog was found and a phone number, but consider leaving out details like sex, collar color, or another identifying characteristic so you can use those details to help verify the owner.
If someone claims the dog…
If anyone contacts you claiming to own the dog you found, ask for identifying information such as sex, collar color, unique markings, photos, or veterinary records. Unfortunately, not everyone looking for a found animal has good intentions, so please take reasonable steps to verify ownership before returning the dog.
If the dog is injured…
If the animal you find is injured, contact a local veterinarian. If it is after regular business hours, Animal Emergency Center is available for emergency care.
If you observe animal cruelty…
If you observe or suspect animal cruelty, contact the non-emergency police line for the city where the incident occurred. Be prepared to provide as much information as possible, including the location, photos, and details of what you observed.
If you can’t find an owner…
It can take several days or weeks to locate an animal’s owner, particularly if the animal traveled a long distance. If you feel like you have made all reasonable efforts to locate the owner and are willing to provide shelter for the dog until a forever home is found, contact us HERE and select ‘Found A Pup’. It can take anywhere from weeks to months to find the perfect forever home, so please note that this is a commitment with an open end date. Our team works diligently to locate homes for our dogs, but we have no way of knowing how long that may take