Loose dog question

[vraiblonde]

So when you see a dog running loose in your neighborhood and don't know who it belongs to, is it better to try and grab the pooch and find its owner, or let them go and they'll find their way back home?

My neighbor dog gets loose all the time and I just take him back over and hook him on his chain because I know where he goes. But I'd never seen this dog before. Not that I had a chance to grab it because Apollo saw him/her before I did and ran it off.

Soooo... that's all, I was just wondering if, instead of grabbing the dog and keeping it prisoner until you can find it's owner, if it's not better to just let them go and they'll make their way back home on their own?

 

[drivingdaisy]

So when you see a dog running loose in your neighborhood and don't know who it belongs to, is it better to try and grab the pooch and find its owner, or let them go and they'll find their way back home?

My neighbor dog gets loose all the time and I just take him back over and hook him on his chain because I know where he goes. But I'd never seen this dog before. Not that I had a chance to grab it because Apollo saw him/her before I did and ran it off.

Soooo... that's all, I was just wondering if, instead of grabbing the dog and keeping it prisoner until you can find it's owner, if it's not better to just let them go and they'll make their way back home on their own?

It depends on your neighborhood and the dog. If you know that the dog is a wanderer but usually makes it home and there is not much traffic near you I would let it go. But if you live in a busy neighborhood or know you have the kind of neighbors who would call animal control, I would take it back. If I wasn't sure, I would walk it back. But I am also a sucker and stop every single time I see a dog on the road to see if it has tags so I can take it back to its house.

 

[kwillia]

I think to answer your question... you need to ask yourself what you would want someone else in your neighborhood to do should Apollo end up loose.

Would you want them to grab him and give you a call or would you want them to let him run loose in the streets and hope he survivies traffic and pitbulls.

 

[Baja28]

Would you want them to grab him and give you a call or would you want them to let him run loose in the streets and hope he survivies traffic and pitbulls.

Oh just stop it!!! You know pitbulls (like muslims) are peacefull, friendly dogs that wouldn't harm a fly!

 

[bresamil]

If I don't know who they belong to I put them in the fence and look for the owner. ( I don't bring them in the house because I have no idea how well they'd interact with my animals.) If I do know who they belong to I put them on a lead and walk them home.

 

[vraiblonde]

Would you want them to grab him and give you a call or would you want them to let him run loose in the streets and hope he survivies traffic and pitbulls.

Honestly, I'd want them to leave him be and he'll come back or I'll find him. He doesn't spend a lot of time unattended and even on the rare occasion I put him out on the chain, I'm constantly checking to make sure he's okay. But if by chance he did get loose and someone else grabbed him up, they'd have to be smart enough to take him to a vet and read his microchip, otherwise they'd never know where to bring him. And he's so sweet that they'd end up keeping him and that would piss me off.

So unless it was someone who knew me, and most of us dog walkers know each other, I'd just as soon they let him come home on his own.

 

[kwillia]

Mine are chipped but they also wear a collar with custom tag that has their name and then my cell number on it because I've read way too many threads about dogs that "never got loose before so I never saw a need for a collar" and the owner post for weeks on end still wondering what happened to their dog.

 

[Eventer29]

We do not live in a smaller neighborhood, and it is not totally uncommon for a dog to go wandering since hardly anyone around here fences their dogs in. (farm land). Generally if we have someone's dogs wander onto our farm we will try to catch them and if we know who they belong to either call them or return the dog. If we do not know whos dog it might be we will hang on to the dog for a little bit (not talking days or anything) and see if anyone comes looking. If no one comes looking we have been known to go door to door to see if anyone is missing a dog. It is a PITA to have to go pick up your animal from the shelter if someone turns it in..but better than having dog hit on the road. So we try to find the home and have always been successful.

 

[Nickel]

Mine are chipped but they also wear a collar with custom tag that has their name and then my cell number on it

In my neighborhood, I would (and have) scoop the dog up and contact its owner. We're in base housing so people are moving in and out all the time and who knows if the loose dog even knows where it lives. I would hate for someone's pet to get hit by a car.

ETA: My dog's collar has his name and my cell number embroidered on it. No tag.

 

[vraiblonde]

the owner post for weeks on end still wondering what happened to their dog.

And that makes me curious if someone is holding the dog and if the dog would have come home if they'd let it alone. People have these weird ideas about pets as community property. I just heard a story about someone who grabbed a "lost" dog off the street, and actually took the dog in to be neutered while supposedly looking for the owner. That's why Apollo doesn't get the opportunity to make new friends like that.

Regardless, the ID tag is a good idea. Where do you get something like that? Order it on the internet or is there a local place where I can get one?

 

[animalluvr4life]

And that makes me curious if someone is holding the dog and if the dog would have come home if they'd let it alone. People have these weird ideas about pets as community property. I just heard a story about someone who grabbed a "lost" dog off the street, and actually took the dog in to be neutered while supposedly looking for the owner. That's why Apollo doesn't get the opportunity to make new friends like that.


Regardless, the ID tag is a good idea. Where do you get something like that? Order it on the internet or is there a local place where I can get one?

i got my dogs id tag online...i also think you can go to petco to there kiosk at the front of the store and make one there for apollo.

 

[Merlin99]

And that makes me curious if someone is holding the dog and if the dog would have come home if they'd let it alone. People have these weird ideas about pets as community property. I just heard a story about someone who grabbed a "lost" dog off the street, and actually took the dog in to be neutered while supposedly looking for the owner. That's why Apollo doesn't get the opportunity to make new friends like that.

Regardless, the ID tag is a good idea. Where do you get something like that? Order it on the internet or is there a local place where I can get one?

I think if it was my dog I'd return the favor and neuter the helpful cuss.

 

[vraiblonde]

i got my dogs id tag online...i also think you can go to petco to there kiosk at the front of the store and make one there for apollo.

I will do that right this second! Thanks!

 

[kwillia]

And that makes me curious if someone is holding the dog and if the dog would have come home if they'd let it alone. People have these weird ideas about pets as community property. I just heard a story about someone who grabbed a "lost" dog off the street, and actually took the dog in to be neutered while supposedly looking for the owner. That's why Apollo doesn't get the opportunity to make new friends like that.

Regardless, the ID tag is a good idea. Where do you get something like that? Order it on the internet or is there a local place where I can get one?

They have a really good "build your own tag and take it home" machine at PETCO/Petsmart... whatever that store is in California..... the machine is at the front against the office wall on the other side of the cash registers. Go look at your choices and then pay for the tag. They give you a "coin" that lets you get the tag. You type in what you want... it engraves it as you watch.

 

[ArkRescue]

Oh just stop it!!! You know pitbulls (like muslims) are peacefull, friendly dogs that wouldn't harm a fly!

that's right - thank you for that

I see people who turn their dogs loose in their yard (no fence) next to busy roads - are these people crazy? I saw one dog wandered into the road and was killed.

 

[ArkRescue]

I will do that right this second! Thanks!

Petsmart has the Kiosk's also.

I just love how you can get all kinds of colors and shapes for pet tags.

 

[Nickel]

They have a really good "build your own tag and take it home" machine at PETCO/Petsmart... whatever that store is in California..... the machine is at the front against the office wall on the other side of the cash registers. Go look at your choices and then pay for the tag. They give you a "coin" that lets you get the tag. You type in what you want... it engraves it as you watch.

I think I might get one that says "My name is Cody. Feed me pizza."

 

[Roman]

Pepper's Pet Pantry has some NICE & Durable Tags there too.!

 

[kwillia]

Pepper's Pet Pantry has some NICE & Durable Tags there too.!

Do they etch them on-site?

 

[migtig]

Do they etch them on-site?

No. Takes about 2 weeks. But both mine came from Peppers.

And in answer to the question, I try and snag the dog, look for collar/tag - call or even walk them home. Caught a gorgeous dog in my yard that was running around with another. Wasn't able to catch the second. Dog's collar had his address, so I clipped him to my little leash (hilarious) and walked him home. The other dog followed. The owner didn't even know they had escaped.