What To Do If You Find A Stray Dog In Your Yard

Imagine you are outside one day, perhaps getting rid of weeds in your garden or reading a book on your porch. You notice movement out of the corner of your eye. When you turn to look, it's a slightly dirty-looking dog coming into your yard. In this scenario, it's important that you know exactly what to do and what not to do, especially for safety. It's one thing to prepare to keep neighborhood dogs from damaging your precious lawn, but a whole different story when it comes to random strays. That's why, when you find a stray dog in your yard, you should always ensure your safety (and your family and pet's safety, too) before contacting a local authority to report it as a stray. Afterwards, you can calmly figure out next steps.

Immediately after finding a stray in your yard, check its condition and body language. Just like you would never approach a stranger's dog on a leash without permission, you need to read the situation to see if the dog is friendly or not. Even a friendly dog can become frightened and react poorly when it gets lost, so do not assume that all stray dogs are safe to approach. If the dog does not appear to be stressed or aggressive, approach it slowly and allow it to sniff your hand. Once the dog seems more comfortable and at ease, you may try to grab its collar or lure it into a safer area. Make sure that you don't rush this process — trying to catch a dog too quickly could cause it to bolt or bite. Considering that it's very possible for stray dogs to have picked up diseases, this isn't a situation where you want to take a risk.

After ensuring the safety of both you and the animal, tackle the task of getting the dog somewhere enclosed, like a garage or a fenced area. But be aware that even a friendly stray should be kept away from other pets due to the potential for transmitting disease. After getting the stray into a safe, contained space, check for a collar tag. Ideally, you will be able to find contact information to get the dog back to its owners. 

If there is no collar tag, you can try other methods to locate the owner. If you live in a neighborhood, consider walking around with the dog. Perhaps the pooch wandered away from a nearby house. Try posting pictures of the dog on local social media pages. If possible, hold on to the stray for a little while before reporting it. You don't need to create a dog-friendly yard or adopt it as a permanent member of the family, but a bit of patience and independent searching can help to reduce the chance that the dog will end up in a shelter. Many times, lost dogs are found as close as 1,000 feet away from their homes.

If you're not getting any leads, it's time to figure out which local authority to contact. There are a few options depending on where you live. You can call a local animal control to report the stray, but they can have specific hours and are often very busy. The police may handle stray dog reports, too, but be sure to call the non-emergency number. A local shelter, especially one close to your home, is also a good idea. These different entities can often scan the animal for a microchip and file a report.