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Take Me Home…Maybe

Writer's picture: Rachel R. BaumRachel R. Baum

On our way out to Grafton Lakes for a paddle on Sunday, we saw a dog standing on the side of the road.

Screeeeeeech! Pull over. Out the door. Crouch down. Call out in my special doggie voice – high, sweet, encouraging.

The beautiful Husky looked at me, her face changed from alarm to delight and, in what could have been the famous slow-motion scene in the movie “10,”  she floated over to me and nestled right into my arms. I was smitten

Opened the car door. Invited her in. She didn’t even look back. Leaped right in.

Closed the door. Drove off. My hand in her fur. She looking lovingly at me. Sigh.

It was a lucky thing that this dog’s owner had tagged her with ID that had his name and phone number on it.  I called before I gave my heart a chance to protest, and we drove the girl (reluctantly) home.

Somehow, this type of encounter happens to me pretty often. Twice I found snapping turtles lying belly up, kicking madly, in the middle of a road. Once, it was a duck trying to cross the street. Another time, two Newfoundlands were trotting blithely up the highway. They looked at me calmly, and just as serenely moseyed away.

So this leads me to the question – what are you supposed to do when you find a stray dog?

Don’t do what I did.

I wasn’t thinking about my safety. I just reacted.


So here are a few thoughts to keep in mind if you happen upon a stray dog:

1. Look around to be sure you won’t be hit by a car when you go into dog-saving mode. Be sure you pull off the road, engage the emergency brake, and turn on your hazard blinkers.

2. Don’t scare the dog. Sudden movements might cause her to run into the road. Take it slow.

3. Speak calmly to the dog. Dispense treats if you have them.

4. Get the dog into your car to keep him out of harm’s way.

5. If the dog has an identification tag, call the owner. If there is no identification, call the local police or animal control agency.

6. If the dog is injured, be aware that he might bite out of pain and fear. Use a towel or blanket to restrain him. Call for help, or bring him to the nearest veterinarian.

Veterinarians, animal control officers, and animal shelters can determine if the dog is microchipped.

Without identification, you might want to foster the dog while you look for her owner.  The next blog post will be about what to do with that stray dog once you bring her home.

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