What will county animal services do with a stray dog?

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You know that awkward moment where you and your child find a stray dog and you call the animal services, and your child asks “What happens next?” Would you know what to say? Would you care enough to find out? Well, the animal services do a splendid job in dealing with stray animals, and it makes sense to find out what happens after you have done your duty as a member of the community and reported the wandering pup.

When the animal is first picked up, the officers will check the animal over and make sure that it doesn’t have a collar, a micro-chip or a tattoo. If the pet has one of these forms of identification, the officer will either contact the owner to arrange for a pick up, or give it a free ride home. This will vary from state to state, and city to city, but as a general rule, this is what tends to happen.

If the pet doesn’t have a form of identification, it will usually be taken to an animal services centre where the next step of the process will take place. Here, the dog will be cared for, fed, watered and given any medication if has shown any signs of being ill. It will be checked over by a Vet to ensure that it doesn’t have fleas, ticks, or any diseases, and if this is the case, the situation will be dealt with appropriately. It is during this process that decisions will be made, and although again it varies on how long the centre is required to keep the pup, it is usually around 3-5 days. If you have questions about this, however, it is always wise to seek advice from your local animal services centre for more information. You can also check online for the local services website – this will normally give you an idea of how long they keep the strays for.

During this period at the animal services centre, and if the stray has no form of identification, decisions will be made. If the dog is very sick, there is a good chance that it could be put down. If it is tame however, and in good health, and no one comes forward to accept the dog as their own despite repeated efforts by the officers to ensure that the pup is returned to its owner, a decision will be made on whether or not it should be put up for adoption.

It is essential that you, as a dog owner, ensure that your pet has some form of identification, whether this is a micro-chip, a tattoo, (special one, not just a beautiful piece of ink!) or a collar. If not, and your dog goes for a walk by itself, you run the risk of your dog being placed in a new home.

There are a number of things that can determine whether or not the stray will be put up for adoption. Age is a big factor, as is medical condition, and the temperament of the pup will be taken into account too. Once all of these things have been taken into consideration, the dog will either be adopted or put down. If you do not want this to happen potentially to your stray, you could always take the pup to a no-kill shelter.

Read more about stray dogs, including lost dogs and advice.
Find a local city or county animal control in your area.



Additional Articles About Stray Dogs
How to protect yourself against dangerous stray dogs
How to catch a stray dog to bring it to the shelter
What to do when your neighbor’s dog won’t stop barking