What should you do when you find a dog wandering around with no owner in sight? It says so much about how jaded we have become that our first thought when we do find ourselves in such a situation is to assume that the dog is abandoned. However, that is not always the case and in many cases, these dogs are genuinely lost and have humans back home who are fretting over where they may be.
So what do you do when you find a dog? Before passing any judgement, you should try and secure it and keep it safe. Take the dog to the vet as soon as you can for a quick (and free) scan for a microchip. If there is a microchip and it is registered, the owner can be contacted. If there is a microchip but it is not registered, the information will still be valuable when searching for and verifying the owners.
Social media is a very powerful tool. Whether there is a microchip or not, posting about the dog you found on Facebook and tagging SPCA, NParks and the local AWGs to share may help reunite the dog with its owner a lot faster. Make sure to check back frequently and to re-post the notice on different Facebook pages or groups if necessary. Putting up paper notices in the vicinity the dog was found can also help especially if the owner is an elderly person or someone not on social media. In the meantime, keep the dog in your home and provide it with food and water and a place to rest until its owner can be found. If you are unable to keep the dog during the search for its owner, reach out to one of the many AWGs to help.
While the intention to reunite the lost dog with its owner as quickly as possible is good, you should still be wary of anyone coming forward claiming to be the dog's owner. There are people who would lie just to be able to get a dog for free, and who knows what their intentions with the dog are? We have heard cases of dogs being turned over to fake owners who turn out to be con people who just wanted to turn around the dog for a quick buck by selling them to other people or worse, to puppy mills to be used as a breeding dog. Always make sure to get proof from people claiming to be owners either by asking for photos or cross-checking the microchip numbers if the dog is microchipped. Do not rely on a dog's reaction to a person as a test. There are friendly dogs who would just about wag their tail at any human they meet! Reach out to any AWG if in doubt on how to verify an owner's identity.
We do understand how easy it is to fall in love with a dog (that is why we continue to do what we do) but imagine if you are the owner of a lost dog. Would you not want the person who found your dog to try their very best to get your dog back to you instead of just keeping it for themselves without you ever knowing what has happened to your dog? If, and only if, you have tried all means to reunite a lost dog with an owner and no one has come forth to claim the dog after a reasonable amount of time (2 weeks is a good estimate), only then should you assume that the dog has no owner and only then should you consider keeping the dog for yourself or rehoming it. If you do choose to rehome a dog, make sure that you also do the due diligence on any potential adopters. Again, the AWGs are there to help if you do need any advice on how to screen potential adopters and make sure that your good intentions do not end up being taken advantage of.
We have heard stories of abandoned dogs. But, we have also heard stories of desperate owners searching for their lost dogs. So if you do see a dog wandering alone, do not assume the worst. The first assumption should be that the dog has a home and a loving owner who is probably at their wits' end trying to find their dog. Only once all means of reuniting the dog with its owner have been exhausted and only after a reasonable amount of time has passed, then the next best course of action for the dog can be considered, and that would be finding the dog its new forever home, whether it be with you, or with someone else. Once again, if you do find yourself in possession of a lost dog and have no idea what to do next, you can always reach out to HOPE or any of the other AWGs at any point to ensure the best outcome for the dog.
Emergency contacts for sick, injured abused, abandoned or animals in distress:
SPCA 24/7 rescue hotline: 6287 5355
AVS 24/7 hotline: 1800-476-1600
Please note that SPCA does not pick up healthy animals from the community.
You may also report to spca.org.sg/report, or access the AVS website https://www.nparks.gov.sg/avs/pets/owning-a-pet/lost-and-found-pets/what-to-do-if-you-find-a-missing-pet
