Rehoming Your Pit Bull and What to Do When You Find a Dog
Due to the multitude of Pit Bulls needing help or rehomed, we are currently on intake hold with over 250 dogs. We receive 100 requests weekly to take dogs. Please read the following on what steps to take if you find a stray dog.
Before helping a lost or stray dog, please be prepared for the short-term commitment needed on your part. You can learn more here.
There are rules and regulations that vary by county. Vet clinics can scan for microchips, but do not expect to be able to drop an animal off there. Your local animal shelter will need to be contacted and may or may not be able to take the dog.
Once you've decided to help:
1) Secure the dog. Be sure the dog(s) is safe and secure from being further lost, in traffic and from the elements. It is often best to house found animals separately from your own, if possible, since the mix of temperaments and medical conditions of the found animal are unknown. If the dog is injured and in need of emergency medical treatment, please locate the closest vet. Offer the dog food/water.
2) Check for collar, tags with potential owner information or a spay/neuter tattoo. A rabies tag with a number may be traceable by contacting the entity that administered the vaccine. You can also take the dog to any vet to be scanned for a microchip with owner information.
3) If you can’t get any owner information or if that information is a dead end, report the dog as “found” to local shelters (responsible owners looking will check shelters) and post on lost/found social media sites in your area on Facebook, Next Door App, Craigslist, Pawboost, etc. You should limit identifying information you share in these posts. Anyone coming forward to claim the dog should have undeniable proof of ownership including pictures, vet records, etc. If someone claiming a dog seems suspicious, they probably are.
4) Keep the dog safe until the owner is located. If no owner is located within 24 hours, you should think about getting the dog to the local shelter as some people do not have social media and the shelter will be the first place they look.
5) If you decide to take on the responsibility of rehoming the dog, Be sure the dog is spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccines. Rehoming an unaltered dog only continues the cycle of overpopulation that has likely lead to this need to find a home. There are many low-cost clinics around the state to help.
6) Ask potential adopters for a vet reference and call their vet to verify that they are regular clients to help ensure a good home. Deliver the dog to the new home and check that fence is secure.
7) Decide if the dogs is good with others or needs to be the only dog and let the interested callers know this information. Do a meet and greet with the adopters' current pets in a neutral location. Start by going on leashed parallel walks with the other dogs in the household. Also be sure to keep in mind whether the dog will do well with children.
8) Charge at least a small adoption fee. If you have the dog spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccines, you might make this the fee. This can help weed out people who may want to get their hands on a free dog to harm. It's always a good idea to deliver the dog to the new owner yourself to be sure the process is complete.
*DO NOT post the dog for free or give its location. While your intention may be to find the dog a home, there are too many people out there with intention to do harm to animals in a variety of ways.
Before helping a lost or stray dog, please be prepared for the short-term commitment needed on your part. You can learn more here.
There are rules and regulations that vary by county. Vet clinics can scan for microchips, but do not expect to be able to drop an animal off there. Your local animal shelter will need to be contacted and may or may not be able to take the dog.
Once you've decided to help:
1) Secure the dog. Be sure the dog(s) is safe and secure from being further lost, in traffic and from the elements. It is often best to house found animals separately from your own, if possible, since the mix of temperaments and medical conditions of the found animal are unknown. If the dog is injured and in need of emergency medical treatment, please locate the closest vet. Offer the dog food/water.
2) Check for collar, tags with potential owner information or a spay/neuter tattoo. A rabies tag with a number may be traceable by contacting the entity that administered the vaccine. You can also take the dog to any vet to be scanned for a microchip with owner information.
3) If you can’t get any owner information or if that information is a dead end, report the dog as “found” to local shelters (responsible owners looking will check shelters) and post on lost/found social media sites in your area on Facebook, Next Door App, Craigslist, Pawboost, etc. You should limit identifying information you share in these posts. Anyone coming forward to claim the dog should have undeniable proof of ownership including pictures, vet records, etc. If someone claiming a dog seems suspicious, they probably are.
4) Keep the dog safe until the owner is located. If no owner is located within 24 hours, you should think about getting the dog to the local shelter as some people do not have social media and the shelter will be the first place they look.
5) If you decide to take on the responsibility of rehoming the dog, Be sure the dog is spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccines. Rehoming an unaltered dog only continues the cycle of overpopulation that has likely lead to this need to find a home. There are many low-cost clinics around the state to help.
6) Ask potential adopters for a vet reference and call their vet to verify that they are regular clients to help ensure a good home. Deliver the dog to the new home and check that fence is secure.
7) Decide if the dogs is good with others or needs to be the only dog and let the interested callers know this information. Do a meet and greet with the adopters' current pets in a neutral location. Start by going on leashed parallel walks with the other dogs in the household. Also be sure to keep in mind whether the dog will do well with children.
8) Charge at least a small adoption fee. If you have the dog spayed/neutered and up to date on vaccines, you might make this the fee. This can help weed out people who may want to get their hands on a free dog to harm. It's always a good idea to deliver the dog to the new owner yourself to be sure the process is complete.
*DO NOT post the dog for free or give its location. While your intention may be to find the dog a home, there are too many people out there with intention to do harm to animals in a variety of ways.
