You find a stray dog, whether in your yard or on the side of the road or just in a random place...and you ask yourself...what now? Many don't seem to know what to do or how the whole process works so let me guide you along the right road.
When you find a dog you are more than welcome to contact us (with pictures would be perfect) and we can post the dog on our page to help spread the word that you have found a 'stray'.
You then need to contact the ACO (Animal Control Officer) for your area. Your local Town Office will know who the ACO for your area is and will direct you appropriately.
We are not dog catchers. We are not the ACO. We do not have a holding facility to put a stray dog. The dog needs to be picked up by the ACO (or they will give you instructions as to how they want to proceed) and the dog is taken to the pound. The ACO's are really good and typically really fast to help out.
More often than not the dog is posted on the Vet Clinic page (they are the holding facility for strays...aka 'the pound') and we share that information on our page. After the required holding time (each municipality is different) at the pound, we are then contacted asking if we have room to take the 'stray' dog. This happens if the dog isn't claimed or the owner refuses to pay the fines at the Town Office.
If we have an open and appropriate foster home we can take the dog. If we don't have room, we all scramble.
The vet clinic scrambles to find a home. We scramble to find another rescue or a foster home. And it all needs to happen FAST.
At the end of the day, IF a dog is not claimed and IF we don't have room to take the dog, the dog could be facing euthanization.
Now, before anyone flips out i'd like to let everyone know that the vet clinic nor us as the SVAPL have ever had an animal euthanized unless deemed necessary (very sick, very broken, very aggressive). We work together to find a solution to the problem. So far, perhaps we've been lucky because we've always been able to find a solution.
How can you help? Well, first by sharing lost/found dog posts. You can help by FOSTERING because without fosters, our hands are tied.
Most animals do make it back home from the pound. The ones who don't will likely make it to us. BUT there will come a day when we don't have an available foster home and the time at the pound will run out and we just won't have any luck left.
Then what's the plan?
FYI...The Town of Swan River does have a cat program to pick up cat strays but NONE of the RMs have a cat program. The Town of Swan River does NOT have an active ACO on weekends and the RMs do have active ACO's on weekends.
When you find a dog you are more than welcome to contact us (with pictures would be perfect) and we can post the dog on our page to help spread the word that you have found a 'stray'.
You then need to contact the ACO (Animal Control Officer) for your area. Your local Town Office will know who the ACO for your area is and will direct you appropriately.
We are not dog catchers. We are not the ACO. We do not have a holding facility to put a stray dog. The dog needs to be picked up by the ACO (or they will give you instructions as to how they want to proceed) and the dog is taken to the pound. The ACO's are really good and typically really fast to help out.
More often than not the dog is posted on the Vet Clinic page (they are the holding facility for strays...aka 'the pound') and we share that information on our page. After the required holding time (each municipality is different) at the pound, we are then contacted asking if we have room to take the 'stray' dog. This happens if the dog isn't claimed or the owner refuses to pay the fines at the Town Office.
If we have an open and appropriate foster home we can take the dog. If we don't have room, we all scramble.
The vet clinic scrambles to find a home. We scramble to find another rescue or a foster home. And it all needs to happen FAST.
At the end of the day, IF a dog is not claimed and IF we don't have room to take the dog, the dog could be facing euthanization.
Now, before anyone flips out i'd like to let everyone know that the vet clinic nor us as the SVAPL have ever had an animal euthanized unless deemed necessary (very sick, very broken, very aggressive). We work together to find a solution to the problem. So far, perhaps we've been lucky because we've always been able to find a solution.
How can you help? Well, first by sharing lost/found dog posts. You can help by FOSTERING because without fosters, our hands are tied.
Most animals do make it back home from the pound. The ones who don't will likely make it to us. BUT there will come a day when we don't have an available foster home and the time at the pound will run out and we just won't have any luck left.
Then what's the plan?
FYI...The Town of Swan River does have a cat program to pick up cat strays but NONE of the RMs have a cat program. The Town of Swan River does NOT have an active ACO on weekends and the RMs do have active ACO's on weekends.
