# How long do you continue to look for the owners?



## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I have Miss Girl posted in pictures but long story short....she was found at my husband's place of work and was first seen a few miles down the road that morning...so she was traveling. He brought her home and we've done everything except go door to door over a rural area. No collar, no microchip, ads in the paper, fliers up on the area, called all the shelters.

She was well groomed, her nails were long and needed trimmed. she will only potty on a leash so that is what she's used to. This is not a dog that lived outside. And there are so many possibilities of where she came from...pipeliners, gas workers, weekenders from NY, NJ, southern PA, Canada, older local people....I'm out out ideas on how to get her information out there and it seems they aren't looking to hard for her if they haven't called the shelter or looked in the newspaper.

It's now been a week and 2 days. How long do you continue to look for the owners?


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Some people go on 2 week vacations, so after that, I'd begin to think no one is looking?


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## sitstay (Jan 20, 2003)

The requirements vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. You need to contact animal control for your county or town and ask what the care and control laws are for a private citizen who found a dog. Namely, how long that dog must be in your care and control before you can legally rehome her or surrender her to a private rescue.

The laws/mandates that shelters and animal control facilities operate under can be different than those private citizens have to follow. Animal control might have to hold an animal for 48 hours before they can offer it for adoption or euthanize it. But a private citizen who finds a dog might have to wait 30 days before doing the same, even though they both are in the same jurisdiction. And make sure you record your attempts to find the owner, in case someone shows up two months from now. Keep the found report number from your animal control contact, keep a record of vet offices you checked with, etc.
Sheilah


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## BahCan (May 29, 2010)

A few years back when I found a Rotti out by the mountains, I put ads in the paper and posters in the area he was found, and posts on the internet, I kept the ads going for a month. After a month I kept the dog, also to protect myself I kept copies of all newspaper ads etc in case someone showed up one day and tried to accuse me of stealing the dog I would have proof I had been looking for the owner.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I already know what the law in PA is. Two weeks after the ad is in the newspaper she's legally ours.

I guess I'm asking more of an ethical, moral, obligation. How much more effort do you put in putting up more fliers, checking shelters, etc. I will contact the newspaper to have them extend the ad.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Have you posted on CL? I would do that(surrounding areas)and see if your state has a lost/found fb page and ask people to crosspost. Newspapers just aren't read as much anymore. 
We have https://www.facebook.com/pages/For-...igan-Lost-Pet-Lookers/264553563570926?fref=ts and I cross-post often from that.


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## BahCan (May 29, 2010)

In my case I felt that one month was more than enough time, I did not feel guilty at all when I kept the dog after that. If the owner had come forward after that period of time and there was a very good reason as to why they had taken so long to contact me and they appeared to be responsible dog owners I would have given the dog back to them.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

No, I have not posted on CL. I have monitored it often but it's not terribly active ofor lost and found in our area, and surrounding areas. She is on facebook on lost and found pages already in many different counties.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

BahCan said:


> In my case I felt that one month was more than enough time


I do expect her to be here at least that long. We can't do anything, legally, for at least another 1.5-2 weeks. After that she'll have to be vetted and we'll rehome her with appropriate contracts, references and home visits. We really aren't in a hurry for her to leave. She's the most low maintenance dog I've ever seen.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

When she was scanned for chip, did they go all over her? These things are known to travel through the body.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Run a magnet over the body too, it will reactivate a chip.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Yes, she was checked for a chip. They used two different scanners. I'll try the magnet but I doubt there is a chip. Banshee's is 13 years old and still read.


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## Rangers-mom (Jan 28, 2013)

Is she a German Shepherd? If she is a pure bred and that well mannered she could have been stolen and dumped. That might explain why no one has come forward.

When I was a little girl my mom found a beautiful GSD. He came up to her as she got out of her car in the morning and when she was done with work he was waiting for her. She brought him home. He was beautiful and so well behaved but no one came forward. We loved him but could not afford to keep him so we eventually rehomed him. We always assumed that he must have been stolen. Too beautiful and well behaved.


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## GT (Oct 29, 2006)

Wouldn't hurt to list on here as well:
http://www.helpinglostpets.com/petdetail/addpet.aspx
It's a FREE national map-based Lost/Found Pet Registry. When you list an animal as "lost", "found" or "stolen", an automated alert will be sent out to all members in the area.

You can also search the site by breed, colour, age, gender etc.


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## GusGus (Oct 24, 2012)

A lot of the pipeliners/oil workers are here in WV from PA and may not be able to do anything from where they are now? They're usually here for about a month. I don't know if it helps, but I can try my best to spread the word.?


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

GusGus...we sent fliers to the two pipe yards in our area. West Penn and Precision. None of the pipeliners recognized her. They all do run in the same circles so I was hoping that one would recognize her if she belonged to a pipeliner. She went right past the WP yard in her travels the day she was found.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

GT said:


> Wouldn't hurt to list on here as well:
> http://www.helpinglostpets.com/petdetail/addpet.aspx
> It's a FREE national map-based Lost/Found Pet Registry.


Done!! Thanks GT!


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## GusGus (Oct 24, 2012)

These stories break my heart. ): if you change your mind, let me know and I can print and drop off some flyers around here just in case. Hope someone claims her or you find her a wonderful home.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

If I change my mind about what? oh...I missed your post above. You are welcome to print flyers and distribute to the pipeliners. 

There is one you can save and print here or take any of the pictures and make your own. I don't have the state listed in the flyer.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...25929473694.2149062.1454624239&type=3&theater


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## frillint1 (Sep 2, 2010)

I would post it on craigslist in your area and surrounding area anyway. Even if you think its not that active for lost and found, the owner might be checking it often as craigslist is well known.


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## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

Around here animal control recommends craigslist, both under lost and found and under pets. 
I recently rescued a yorkiepoo that was running loose on the road. The owners showed up 10 days later. They had repairs done on the house and moved to a hotel.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Soo...if this were a theoretical situation...and all avenues have been exhausted...how long to you continue to search for the owners?


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

I would think after a month, I would probably stop .. except maybe for re-upping the craigslist ad as long as you can. Even if it's not that active in your area, the person missing the dog may come from an area that is active so would naturally check craigslist for the state (I do that occasionally when looking for something specific).


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