Diana Myers
If you adopt a stray dog, you shouldn’t get too attached to the “foster child”. Even after months, the owner can ask for his animal back.
Why do dogs travel alone?
There can be many reasons for a dog walking alone: perhaps a noise startled it, or it saw a rabbit and ran away. Of course, it could also be that he was abandoned, but the likelihood that a person is desperately looking for him is greater.
This is how to behave properly
So what do you do if you encounter such a stray? Above all, be careful! If you have the impression that the dog reacts suspiciously or negatively, then under no circumstances try to force it to go with you! You risk being bitten! In such cases it is better to alert the police or animal shelter right away, the professionals can safely catch even aggressive animals.
Emergency or just with a big head start?
But let’s assume that a needy fuzzy leans against you and there is no owner to be seen far and wide. The first thing you should do is: wait. Dogs are a lot faster than humans, maybe Wuschel just has a big lead. While you’re waiting, you can take a quick look at the dog: is it nervous or rather calm, does it appear thirsty, hungry, maybe even injured, and in need of veterinary attention? Then do not wait for the owner, but take the animal to the doctor.
Tattoo, address medallion or chip?
If it’s not an emergency, check to see if the dog is carrying clues to its home. Many have an address medallion on their collar, and a tattoo in their ear also helps. If none of these are present, there is still a chance that the animal has been implanted with a chip. However, only veterinarians or animal shelters can determine this with an appropriate device. Therefore, you should definitely bring the dog to an appropriate place and not just take it home with you. The animal shelter will probably not object to you offering to be a foster parent until a possible owner is found. Maybe you hope that the dog can stay with you. However, the previous owner can reclaim the animal for 6 months. Then all the wailing does not help – the animal must be returned.