05/15/2025
What To Do If You Find a Stray Dog (Please Read & Share)
We are in a full-blown animal welfare crisis right now. Shelters are overwhelmed, rescues are full, and many people are abandoning their pets because county shelters no longer have immediate surrender appointments — we’re talking weeks to months out.
So, what should you do if you find a stray?
1. Check for a microchip — this is FREE.
Take the dog to any vet, PetSmart with Banfield, to have them scanned. This is the most important first step and could reunite the pet with their family immediately.
2. Once you pick up that dog, it becomes your responsibility.
Yes, it’s incredibly kind of you to stop and help, but please don’t get upset with rescues or vets when they say they can’t take the dog. Rescues are not facilities — we’re regular people doing this out of our homes, unpaid, while working full-time jobs. We don’t have the space or resources to take in every stray.
3. Vets are not responsible for strays.
Their job is to care for owned animals. They don’t get paid for strays, and they need their kennels for their clients.
4. If the animal is injured, take it to the Humane Society or an emergency vet.
If the pet is healthy, it can safely stay in your backyard or in a crate in your home while you figure out next steps. You don’t need to pass the responsibility off just because you stepped in to help.
5. If you want to take the dog to county:
• Call and schedule a pick-up — typically available within 24–48 hours.
• Or show up at 11:00 AM sharp and wait. If someone misses their appointment, you might be able to get in.
• This is NOT necessarily a Death Sentence! THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE WILL GO TO FIND THEIR DOG.
6. Try to find the owner:
• Post on the Nextdoor app, Ring/neighborhood apps, Facebook Lost & Found pet pages, your personal profile, and every local neighborhood group.
• Print and post flyers in your area — not everyone is online or knows where to look.
• Add the pet to the Maricopa County Stray Map so owners can look there before going to the shelter.
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And if you want to be mad — be mad at the right things.
Be mad that someone let this dog end up on the street. Be mad at our legislation for not prioritizing animal welfare, for failing to enforce spay/neuter laws, and for not requiring collars, tags, microchips, or proper licensing. Be mad that there aren’t tighter protections in place for these innocent animals.
But don’t be mad at rescues and shelters — we are already drowning.
We domesticated animals — now it’s on all of us to keep them safe.
And as blunt and horrible as this may sound: if you’re not prepared to take full responsibility for that animal — to shelter it, search for its owner, and keep it safe — then please, leave it where it is.
Picking it up and then expecting someone else to “deal with it” only makes things harder on everyone — especially the animal.
Thank you for caring. It truly matters ♥️
