Found an Animal
Sometimes lost animals show up in your neighborhood, or in your yard.
What should you do if you find an animal? The Chemung County SPCA has some suggestions for you.
Not all animals are "lost".
The animal you found may just be visiting and will return back home on its own. Or, its mother may have just left them there to go get food and will be back shortly. Keep an eye out to see if either of these situations are the case.
If it is a wildlife animal, it may not be abandoned. Its mother may be close by and just hunting for food. Call your local Animal Control if you have any questions about what to do with wildlife.
What to do if you find a pet
If you see what you believe is a lost dog or cat, approach the animal cautiously. You don't know them and they don't know you so you don't know how they will react to you. Talk to them calmly, in a soft voice.
For dogs - carefully contain them e.g. in a fenced in yard, or in a garage. You may need to use food to lure them and to have them follow or come to you.
If you have a leash or lead, try and use it to help contain the dog.
For cats - use a cat carrier or a box with airholes to contain them. Or put them in a small room in your house. They may not respond well to being picked up or held so don't hold onto the cat to contain them for any length of time.
If the animal is showing signs of aggression, do not put yourself in harms way and immediately call your local animal control or police to help pick up the animal.
If you are able to safely contain the animal, check for identification tags. Call the number on the tag to try and locate the owner and make arrangements to get the animal back home.
If there are no identification tags, and you are able to bring the animal to a veterinary clinic or local shelter to get the animal scanned for a microchip, you might be able to locate the owner this way.
Go to Pawboost and report the animal found, as well as use the site to create a flyer to post in your neighborhood and around town. Take a photo of the animal to include on the poster along with any known information e.g. breed, approximate weight, age, sex, and any identifiable markings, collar description, as well as your contact information.
Post on social media and ask people to share - your own Facebook page, neighborhood apps, shelter pages, etc.
If you are able to temporarily care for the animal until their owner is located, do not let the animal mix with your household pets. Without knowing whether the found animal has had all their vaccinations, whether they get along with other animals, it is best to keep them all separate for everyone's health and safety.
If unable to care for the animal until an owner is located, take the animal to a shelter (first check that they are able to take it. Some shelters do not take in stray animals or perhaps do not have the space at that time.)
Chemung County Humane Society & SPCA is a private, non-profit , 501(c)(3) animal welfare organization and is not affiliated with any local, state, or national humane groups. Your donation saves pets within our local community.
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