Saving Strays

Dear JoAnne:

Today when I was walking my dog, I noticed this stray cat hiding out under our neighbor's house.  She seems scared but I was able to pet her and she looks like she was somebody's pet, even though she has no collar or id.  We would love to keep her but my wife is allergic to cats - what should we do?

Hopefully,
Stray Samaritan

Dear Stray Samaritan:

Unfortunately pets go missing every day. Sometimes it is a gate or door left open unintentionally, or a dog slips off its leash and runs off to investigate the neighborhood but is quickly out of sight.

If you notice an animal running loose, and you are concerned for its safety, you should call your local Animal Control. Each city has an Animal Control Division as does Harris County. Animal Control Officers are equipped and trained to catch stray animals.

If you decide to catch the animal yourself, be aware of several important tips:

• Not all animals will come to you, they are frightened and do not know who you are.
• Some animals will bite if they feel threatened.
• If the animal is injured or sick, be extremely careful as any animal in pain will bite. This is where a blanket to wrap the animal becomes necessary.
• When trying to catch a stray animal it is good to have a leash a blanket and treats.
• Get down on their level and speak slowly and calmly. Try not to pose a threat to the animal.
• Be patient. Sometimes it can take a while for a dog to lower its guard and approach you.
• Treats can help entice the animal to you.
• Slowly pet the dog or cat, beginning with the head and moving down the back.
• After you have established that the dog is letting you pet it, you can place the leash around it’s neck. If the dog will not walk on leash, slowly place one hand underneath the animal and support the rear with your other hand.
• Be very careful if you are going to place the animal in your car as this can cause them to panic.
• It is a good idea to wrap a cat in a blanket so you have more control.

Once you have the animal, what is the next step? If you want to keep the stray animal that you rescued, the law allows an individual to keep that animal as long as you “make a reasonable effort” to find the owner.

Here are some suggestions if you choose to keep the animal:

• Contact your local Animal Control and complete a Lost Report.
• Go to the CAP website and complete a Lost/Found Report.
• CAP also has a list of resources to help you find the owners.
• Take the animal to a nearby veterinarian and have them scan for a microchip. Many owners are having their animals micro-chipped to help identify them if lost.
• Place Found flyers around your neighborhood and look to see if there are any Lost flyers.  Animals can stray as many as five miles from home.
• Run ads in the Lost and Found section of your local paper, Green sheet etc.

If you cannot keep the animal:

• Consider fostering the animal until the owners are found or a new family can adopt.
• Surrender the animal to your local Animal Control facility. This may be an emotional decision but this is where owners are going to look when they lose an animal. Most agencies will let you keep up with the status of the animal during its stay.
• Contact other humane organizations and complete a found report, indicate where you took the animal.
• CAP has a Lost and Found section on our website that allows you to complete a Lost/Found Report and gives you a list of resources to contact.

Keep up the good work,

JoAnne